


Fragments at Sea

by Akira_of_the_Twilight



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Bad Parenting, Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers Friendship, Drama & Romance, Fairy Tale Elements, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, M/M, Magic, Melodrama, Merman Steve Rogers, Teen Tony Stark, merman bucky barnes, questionable parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 14:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 38,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10024142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akira_of_the_Twilight/pseuds/Akira_of_the_Twilight
Summary: Prompt: May I ask for number 74: 'Are you hitting on me?' with WinterIron please? Thank you!It officially sucked being smarter than everyone.Tony pouted and hugged his legs to his chest as the jagged ocean rocks poked into his ass and made it difficult for him to brood properly.He knew he should be happy to be smart–being smart was a good thing–but at times like these he wished he was normal.“Why are you all the way out here and not with the others?” a voice asked.Tony jumped in his spot. He looked around in search of the owner of the voice.Two hands appeared on the edge of the rock and a brunet boy around Tony’s age popped his head over the rock. His hair was soaked and flopped into his face. With a roguish grin, the boy pushed his sopping hair out of his face and wiggled up onto the rock more. He rested his weight on his arms. “It looks like all the fun is over there.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [savedbythenotepad](https://archiveofourown.org/users/savedbythenotepad/gifts).



It officially sucked being smarter than everyone.

Tony pouted and hugged his legs to his chest as the jagged ocean rocks poked into his ass and made it difficult for him to brood properly.

About a half mile down the beach a bonfire was lit and the raucous laughter of Tony’s supposed peers and some pop song playing on someone’s radio could be heard. It was the Senior End of the Year Party, and while Tony may have been a high school senior, age-wise he belonged in middle school. He’d been thoroughly excluded since his arrival, and he just wanted the party to end so he could go back to his dorm.

Tony shivered as the freezing, night air picked up. He squeezed himself tighter and scooted away from the edge of the rock to avoid the water crashing up against his feet and soaking the toes of his shoes.

He knew he should be happy to be smart–being smart was a good thing–but at times like these he wished he was normal.

“Why are you all the way out here and not with the others?” a voice asked.

Tony jumped in his spot. He looked around in search of the owner of the voice.

Two hands appeared on the edge of the rock and a brunet boy around Tony’s age popped his head over the rock. His hair was soaked and flopped into his face. With a roguish grin, the boy pushed his sopping hair out of his face and wiggled up onto the rock more. He rested his weight on his arms. “It looks like all the fun is over there.” The boy cocked his head in the direction of the bonfire.

Tony rolled onto his hands and knees and scrambled closer to the boy. “Aren’t you freezing?” Tony tried to get a look at what the boy was wearing; he had to have some sort of insulating suit on in order to be out in the water this late at night.

The boy dunked himself back into the water a tad, giving Tony plenty of room to look over the boy’s shoulder and into the ocean.

“Nope,” the boy popped the ‘p’. “The water is warm to me.”

Tony gawked. “That’s not possible. You don’t even have a shirt on.”

“Are you looking at my chest?” The boy kept grinning, and Tony wondered if he ever stopped smiling.

“Yes, but not because I’m being a pervert or anything. I’m trying to figure out how you don’t have hypothermia.”

The boy wrinkled his nose at the word ‘hypothermia’ but went back to his happy expression. “Too bad. I wouldn’t have minded if you were ogling.”

Tony’s jaw dropped for a second time.

The boy winked at Tony. He used his arms to lift himself partially onto the rock again, his face coming awfully close to Tony’s. “You’re cute.”

“Are you hitting on me?” No one had hit on Tony, ever. Tony always flirted with the boys and girls he thought were cute, but they always said he was too young for them. The idea that someone was hitting on him sent his heart pounding with hope.

“If you mean am I flirting with you? Then yes.”

“Well, duh. That’s what ‘hitting on’ means.”

“Weird,” the boy said.

“Bucky!” a plaintive voice shouted from nearby.

Suddenly there was a blond boy next to Tony’s new buddy and the blond was urging “Bucky” back into the water with a few frenzied tugs.

“Bucky, you know we’re not supposed to go to the surface on our own yet.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “It’s night time, Stevie. There are barely any landers around.”

Steve glanced at Tony and cursed. “And you say I’m the troublemaker.” Steve grabbed Bucky’s arm and dove under water.

“Steve!” Bucky shouted before being submerged.

Tony gasped and sprang forward in an attempt to grab Bucky and hold him up.

He thrust his arm out and drew in a sharp breath as a large fin rose out of the water and brushed his fingertips.

The fin was gone as fast as it appeared.

Tony stared in awe at the spot where Bucky and Steve had been.

A minute later, he heard splashing in the distance.

When he looked up, he swore he saw two large fish tails diving into the water.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So despite my reservations about this fic being more for a tumblr audience than an AO3 one, I've decided to post the whole thing slowly but surely on AO3. I'm still tidying up all of the chapters right now, but eventually they should all end up on here.

Steve picked up his pace, cutting through the water and swimming right in front of Bucky to impede his path. “And just where do you think you’re going?”

Bucky reeled, back-flipping through the water then righting himself. “Steve, what are you doing up so late?” He scowled. “You should be in bed. You’re still recovering from the Eels.”

“I’m trying to make sure my best friend doesn’t end up in some lander’s net.” Steve swished his tail in agitation. “You’re going to get caught if you keep going to the surface.”

Bucky smirked. “No one has caught me yet.” Bucky kicked his tail and with a burst of speed, launched himself past Steve.

“Bucky!” Steve cried out and gave chase.

Steve huffed as he tried to keep up with his best friend. Bucky had always been a faster swimmer. The only reason Steve had caught up before was because Bucky hadn’t been aware Steve was following him.

Steve soon lost sight of his friend and cursed. He pushed onward through the water.

Steve knew exactly where Bucky was headed.

It wasn’t long before Steve reached shallow waters. He navigated his way through the seaweed and rocks until he reached a spot in the rocks where he could hide from the landers on shore but get glimpse of the small beach Bucky liked to visit.

Steve poked his head out from the water and around the rock. His heart screamed and flung itself out of his chest.

Tony was wearing one of his strange, black skins again and was wading in waist high water. He laughed as Bucky swam around him, diving in and out of the water and wrapping his tail around Tony’s legs.

It wasn’t a proper courting dance but it was close enough that Steve was able to recognize the dance for what it was.

Tony’s reached into the water and his fingers touched Bucky’s tail.

Bucky cooed in delight and wrapped himself around Tony. He cupped Tony’s face with one hand and looked at Tony with utter fondness.

Tony’s cheeks turned red. He swayed into Bucky’s touch.

Bucky grinned and slapped his tail onto the surface, splashing Tony before Bucky dove into the water.

“Hey!” Tony cried out. He vigorously wiped at his eyes. “No fair!”

Bucky remerged right in front of Tony and kissed the tip of his nose then disappeared into the water again.

Tony straightened, his face more red than a lobster.

Steve dove into the ocean and swam toward deeper waters.

Steve cartwheeled and swam zigzag as he panicked. His best friend was courting a lander! Had Bucky even thought this through? Besides the general danger of swimming near the surface, how did Bucky expect to maintain any relationship with Tony? How! It just didn’t make sense, and–

“Whoa, Stevie, you need to slow down. Your tail is going to split in two if you keep swimming like that.”

Steve whirled on Bucky. “Are you crazy? On second thought, don’t answer that.” Steve zipped through the water in a panic as he tried to think of what to say to his friend. “You’re courting a lander!”

“So you saw that performance?” Bucky glanced over his shoulder and in the direction of the beach. “Not surprised. I had a feeling you would.”

“Bucky,” Steve clamped Bucky on the shoulders and looked him in the eye, “I want to support you, but what you’re doing is insane and dangerous.”

“So was riding that riptide, but we had fun.” Bucky smiled crookedly.

Steve shook his head. “This is different.”

“Come on, Steve.” Bucky swatted Steve’s hands away and put some distance between them. “Since when are you afraid of anything? We’ve out swam sharks, swam through jellyfish, and have even explored lander ships. Why are you acting like such a guppie?”

“Because, Bucky…” Steve’s chest ached. He sank into the water. “I don’t want to see you get hurt when things don’t work out. Nets and fishermen’s traps aside, Tony and you are literally from two different worlds.”  

Bucky tail twitched. He once again looked over his shoulder toward the beach. “I have to go. I told Tony I’d only be gone for a little while.”

Steve sighed and bowed his head. “You’re not going to listen to me at all, are you?”

“Haven’t so far. Why start now?” Bucky flipped himself around and swam to Tony.

Steve hugged himself as he drifted alone in the ocean.

“I hope it works out in the end, even if it is unlikely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eriot drew some amazing [amazing fanart](http://latelierderiot.tumblr.com/post/147562871482/i-just-read-akira-of-the-twilight-merman-au) for this fic, so please go check it out.


	3. Chapter 3

“A year off?” Howard’s voice came out clipped.

Tony inwardly cringed at his father's tone. He knew asking for a year off wouldn't be an easy request to make; although,  he hadn't been prepared for Howard's offended tone paired with a few innocuous words to cut into his insecurities so deeply.

Howard folded shut his laptop and lay his full attention on Tony. Even as he lay sprawled across their rented home's couch, dressed in rolled up sleeves and missing one shoe, Howard managed to radiate enough anger and power to make Tony hesitate.

Howard sat up straighter. “You want a year off?” He pressed.

Tony’s mom, who had been reading in the recliner before Tony had approached his parents that evening, also straightened. She reached across the arm of her chair and touched Howard’s shoulder. “Howard, perhaps we should listen to Tony first before we get mad? He’s a smart boy, and I’m sure he has good reasons.” Maria smiled encouragingly at Tony.

Tony nodded rapidly. “I want to study marine science for a year. The local aquarium has a volunteer program, and–”

“And you want to waste your time looking at fish?” Howard’s tone was full of scathing judgement.

“MIT has ocean engineering courses, so in addition to my other degrees I want to–”

“No,” Howard stated.

“But I–”

“No.” Howard rose off of the couch and approached Tony. His presence was like that of a looming giant’s as he stomped closer to Tony. “You are a Stark. You are not going to–”

Maria leaped out of her chair. She gently put her hand on Tony’s back as she guided him out of the room. “Tony, let your father and me discuss this.”

“I’ll study whatever you want me to, I just want to add–”

Howard scoffed. “You think it’s just that easy? That you can just play around for a year, get an extra degree, and–”

“Howard!” Maria cut her husband off. “We will discuss it.” She turned to Tony and urged him out of the room more aggressively. “Tony, upstairs. You promised me a tour of the town tomorrow, and I want you well rested.”

Tony nodded and left the room, but he didn’t go far.

He reached the base of the steps and sat on the first one.

“He’s worked so hard already, Howard,” Maria’s pleading tone seized Tony’s heart and crushed it. “And it’s been hitting him hard recently that there is no one his age at school. He’s more than earned a year for a passion project and it will lessen the age gap a bit.”

“You want him to become some beach hippie!” Howard accused.

“I want him to be happy. He’s already achieve–”

“Less than the bare minimum to be a true Stark.”

“Because you had multiple degrees before you were done with puberty?” Maria asked sarcastically.

“I would have if the opportunity had been available to me at his age. He’s just a slacker, and I know what this is really about.”

“Oh? Do you?”

“He found some gold digging hussy and wants to stay with her. He’s an idiot and he’s going to throw his life on some worthless tot, who will only remember him in the morning because of his family name.”

“He said–”

“I know what my son said, and I also know my son has never cared about marine science. He’s a hormonal idiot set on sabotaging his future. A failure in the making.”

“Don’t you call him a failure!”

“That’s exactly what he’ll be if he continues being the selfish and stupid brat that he is.”

“Will you pull your head out of your ass for five minutes!”

“I will when my reasonable wife returns!”

“She will when you stop destroying our son’s hopes and dreams just to create your clone!”

Howard guffawed. “Sweetie, if I wanted a clone, I could make one.”

The screaming continued and Tony’s stomach churned. He white-knuckled the banister as the volume rose. Tony could have been in his room and he would have been able to hear his parents from downstairs.

Tony swallowed hard and stood.

He hurried to his room. He checked the clock as he entered and felt his gut drop. It was still early in the evening; he couldn’t visit Bucky just yet, no matter how badly he wanted to.

Tony threw himself down on his bed and covered his head with his pillow as his parents’ voices penetrated the second floor.

He pretended that he was a soldier in World War II and all the noise he was hearing were just bombs dropping in the distance.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony rubbed his eyes and yawned as he waited for Bucky on the tiny strip of sand that was left of the shore. The beach that Bucky and he had selected for their late night rendezvouses was small during low tide but high tide devoured almost all of the beach. Tony picked at his wetsuit as he tried not think about how he only had a few more days with Bucky left.

Summer was coming to an end and he’d soon have to head off to MIT. He supposed he should be thankful that he’d had the whole summer to spend time with Bucky, but no amount of positive thinking could ease the ache in his chest. Nor could it erase his father’s harsh words when he’d had asked if it would be possible for him to wait a year before going to MIT.

Tony cringed at just the memory. His dad had been so furious, and his mom had been quick to usher Tony out of the room so he wouldn’t have to deal with Howard’s cutting fury.

There was a splash in the distance and Tony looked up just as Bucky’s head popped out from the water. The infectious  grin on the merboy’s face pushed Tony’s worries to the side long enough for Tony to rise to his feet and jog into the freezing water. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. His wetsuit provided him more warmth than if he’d stepped out in just his swim trunks, but the chill of the water was biting nonetheless.

Bucky dropped down into the water and in a few seconds swam circles around Tony, his tail teasingly brushing along Tony’s legs.

Tony chuckled at the feather light touch and tried to stroke the shimmering scales of Bucky’s tail, but Bucky dipped farther down into the water.

Tony attempted to touch Bucky again, but just as his fingertips hovered over the edge of the tail, Bucky’s upper half sprang from the water.

Moist lips pressed against Tony’s, the pressure of contact just barely there, but enough for Tony to feel the kiss. Tony sighed, melting into the kiss only to be disappointed when it soon ended. Bucky always liked to tease Tony with his kisses and touches first, never quite giving Tony what he wanted until much later in the evening after they talked or swam together.

Right now though, Tony wanted comfort. “I’m not really in the mood for teasing, Bucky.”

The smile slipped off Bucky’s face. Confusion chased by concern contorted his expression. Bucky circled around Tony then cupped Tony’s face. Bucky’s eyes darted across Tony’s features, analyzing him. “What’s wrong?”

Tony gripped the hands holding his cheeks and squeezed them as he leaned in and kissed Bucky. It was a chaste kiss, but one that gave Tony the extra bit of strength that he needed to deliver the bad news to Bucky.

“I’m going to have go away, Bucky.”

Bucky’s brow furrowed and his tail wrapped around Tony possessively. “You’re migrating? I didn’t think landers did that.”

Tony shook his head. “I don’t know what the educational system is for merfolk, but I have to leave to study somewhere else. It’s not going to be close by. I can try to visit on weekends, but…” Tony bit the inside of his cheek. He knew Howard’s expectations; Howard would not be pleased if Tony didn’t get a degree by the end of his first year. Tony was confident in his abilities to do that, but what he wasn’t confident about was whether he’d be able to do it and dedicate his weekend nights to driving out to see Bucky. He could go without sleep, and he knew there were pills that could help him with that, but it was still a lot of coursework to cover and no matter how smart he was there were just some things that took time to do.

Bucky’s thumb brushed Tony’s cheek. “Why can’t you stay here?”

“I tried, but my dad won’t let me.” Tony sighed and removed Bucky’s hands from his cheeks. “I wish I could stay with you. Hell, I wish I could run off with you for a year or two just so I won’t have to spend most of my days around people who treat me like a kid or look down at me because they think my dad is the only reason I skipped so many grades.”

Bucky’s brow wrinkled like it tended to do whenever Tony talked about school and grades. While Tony didn’t know much about the merfolk educational system, he did know that they didn’t have things like grades.

The smile returned to Bucky’s face. “You should swim off with me.” Bucky grabbed Tony’s hands and glided backwards farther into the ocean, dragging Tony along with him. “You can go on adventures with Steve and me. I can show you all of the sunken ships we’ve found and you can tell us about all of the things inside them.”

Tony chuckled. “Don’t I already do that?” Bucky liked to bring Tony things from ships and ask him about them. Bucky had brought Tony a compass, a damaged music box, and a rusted pistol so far.

Bucky hummed in thought and let go of Tony’s hands. “That reminds me. One moment.” Bucky dove into the water and swam away.

Tony sighed, used to Bucky taking off at random intervals.

Bucky reappeared behind Tony.

Tony spun to see what Bucky was doing behind him, only to stop as Bucky lowered a necklace made up of seashells and seaweed around his neck.

Tony’s heart thudded in his chest at the gift.

Bucky smiled and pecked Tony on the cheek. “I made it for you.”

“I hope this isn’t some marriage proposal necklace, Bucky.” Tony’s face burned. He’d spoken jokingly, but Tony realized right then that his jest might have some reality to it; he had no idea what merfolk did when they proposed. “Not after I just told you–”

Bucky put a silencing finger on Tony’s lips and winked. “I haven’t asked for you to be my mate yet.”

“Yet?” Tony’s voice came out a croak.

Bucky chortled and kissed Tony. “Forget about the future for now. I’ll figure something out. Right now, I just want to enjoy your company.” Bucky’s hands went to Tony’s waist and pulled Tony against his chest.

Bucky swam farther out into the water.

Tony wrapped his arms around Bucky’s neck and shoulders and let Bucky carry him through the water. “I’m not sure if I can.”

“Then I’ll just have to find a way to distract you.” Bucky kissed Tony again.


	5. Chapter 5

Bucky slowed his swimming as he entered Loki’s cave. The sorcerer was known for his trickery and deception, and Bucky was wary to enter the dark abode of the man. Bucky would not approach the cave at all if it weren’t for two reasons. The first (but not as important) reason being that he was familiar with the sorcerer’s brother Thor, and Thor swore that Loki was harmless. The second (and most important reason) was Tony.

He didn’t want to be separated from Tony, and he hated seeing Tony upset. He had no idea how to make Tony happy though or how to keep them together. Tony couldn’t join him in the ocean and he couldn’t join Tony on land.

At least, not without magical aid.

“Hello?” Bucky called into the cave.

He half expected an ugly angler fish to emerge from the walls and spook him. Instead, all that came was mumbled cursing.

“Hello?” Bucky’s shoulder bunched in anticipation of something jumping out at him. 

An envy green flash of light sparked in the back of the cave and suddenly all of the walls were alight in an eerie glow.

Bucky’s stomach churned. His trepidation left him paralyzed.

“Are you going to float out there all day or are you going to come in?” A smug, male voice called from the back of the cave. The green light dimmed so there was just enough to cast faint shadows against the dark walls.

The arrogance and challenge in the sorcerer’s voice irked Bucky into action. He squared his shoulders and swam deeper into the cave.

The cave opened into a grotto filled with shelves of bottles, chests, shells, coral, and so many lander trinkets Bucky wondered where Loki had found them all.

A surfgrass green light shimmered from within a bowl of coral stationed in the floor. A dark haired man waved his hands over the bowl as he mumbled something under his breath. Black tresses drifted around the man’s head in an inky halo that stood out against the pallor of the man’s skin. The man’s emerald tail circled around the coral bowl in a protective and possessive manner.

Bucky swallowed and looked at his own tail. Shades of gray and blue made up his scales. The tones helped him blend into the water more, which was good for survival but not very beautiful. His tail and fins were still small–perfect for his age–but small by comparison. Loki’s scales shimmered as brightly as whatever he was concocting in that bowl of his, and his fins were huge enough that Loki could probably swat away Bucky easily with them–he could probably even out swim Bucky without any effort on his part.

It just reminded Bucky how much of a child he still was and it rankled him.

Loki stopped his murmurings and glanced up at Bucky, a crooked smile on his lips.

Loki unwrapped his tail and swam toward Bucky. “And what has brought such a young man to my abode?”

Loki swam around Bucky like a swellshark, eyeing Bucky as if he could see into the boy’s mind by simply studying his body. “Someone your age? Probably romance or issues with authority. Which is it?”

Bucky crossed one arm over his chest and sent Loki a dirty look. “I want to walk on land.”

“Ah, that one too. You’re about the right age to be curious about the land.” Loki shook his head and swam away from Bucky. He reached for a stone tablet on his shelf. “Sorry, fresh out of anything that would allow you to walk on land.”

Bucky’s heart somehow managed to fall and rise at once. “So it is possible for me to go on land?”

Loki scoffed as he looked at the tablet, reading the carvings on the stone. “Of course. Just about anything is possible with magic.” He looked up from the tablet and smirked. “Of course, there is always a price.”  

“Like what?” Worry spun in Bucky’s gut. He only had a few possessions he could trade.

“It depends on the magic, and the price that is paid is not always a few shells or a pearl. It is often something personal.” Loki shelved the tablet.

Bucky relaxed as relief filled him. If it was something personal he had to offer then he could probably afford any spell Loki had. “How long will it take you to create more of the spell or potion that will allow me to walk on land?”

Loki waved his hand flippantly. “Depends, but not for weeks at least.”

Hope sank in Bucky’s chest. “There must be some way you can create one sooner. What if I helped you find the items needed?”

Loki chuckled. “You?” He eyed Bucky again. “You would die trying.”

Bucky perked up like a stingray ready to strike. “Try me.”

Loki hummed in thought, and for the third time he looked over Bucky. “Ah-ha. I see. You have not been entirely truthful, have you? You want to go on land, but why?”

Bucky flushed.

Loki’s smirk grew. “You have feelings for a lander.”

Bucky’s tail twitched with insecurity.

Loki shook his head. “Well then, I definitely will not aid you.”

“What?” Bucky burst. He barreled at Loki, stopping just short of the merman’s face. “I’m willing to pay whatever price! You can’t just decide that you won’t give a spell or potion to me just because I have feelings for a lander.”

Loki put a bony finger on Bucky’s chest and pushed Bucky a few centimeters back. “But I can. For centuries our kind have often become curious about landers and just as often have fallen in love with them and found ways to be with them only to suffer in the end. It is so commonplace landers have many tales of it, despite most not believing in our existence.”

Loki swam a few paces away from Bucky. “I’m being kind by sparing you such heartbreak.”

Bucky shook his head. “I don’t care about stories or what others have gone through. I love Tony. I want him to be my mate.”

“I could never encourage such a thing, unless…” Loki looked at Bucky then turned away and shook his head. “No.”

Bucky swam closer to Loki. “Unless what?”

“Unless it were true love.” Loki faced Bucky. “You love this lander enough that you would do anything to be with him?”

Bucky nodded.

“Can the same be said for him though?” Loki swam to one of his chests and pulled out a golden necklace with a golden, star-shaped pendant. “I have been crafting a spell that will transform a lander into one of us once they put on this necklace. If your Tony loves you as you love him, then give him this necklace. If he wears it, then I will help you two be together on land and sea, but if he refuses, then I shall not help you.”

Bucky nodded. Determination rose in his chest. He knew Tony loved him, and he was confident Tony would wear the necklace.

Bucky reached out for the jewelry, only for the necklace to be yanked out of reach.

Bucky met Loki’s emerald gaze.

“Remember what I said,” Loki intoned. “All magic comes with a price. Tony and you will both have to pay.”

“What do you want?” Bucky asked.

Loki smiled and lay the necklace down in Bucky’s hand. “It’s not what I want, boy. It’s what the magic wants, and only time will tell what that is.”


	6. Chapter 6

Tony hugged himself as the cold ocean night air blasted through his hoodie and wetsuit. He paced the beach as he waited for Bucky to show up, his stomach churning as doubts and worries plagued him.

Had Bucky decided it wasn’t worth continuing their friendship now that Tony would be gone in a couple of days? Bucky had seemed so much more encouraging than that, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone put a smile on their face and said a few kind words to manipulate Tony. Perhaps Bucky just hadn’t wanted to deal with Tony’s tears? Perhaps Bucky had said whatever he could to soothe Tony at the time.

Howard always berated Tony for crying; it was a sign of weakness and an unattractive trait. Although, Tony hated to admit it, Howard was a genius–a far better one than Tony–and he had more experience with people than Tony. Maybe Howard was right? Perhaps Tony had pushed Bucky away by showing his weakness?

Ironically, Tony’s eyes watered and he cursed. He rubbed at his traitorous eyes and blamed the sting from the strong wind for the waterworks. He couldn’t be weak; he just couldn’t be.

“Tony,” Bucky’s voice cut through Tony’s insecurities.

Tony whirled at Bucky’s voice in time to see the merman swim into what would be waist high waters for Tony. A victorious grin was spread across his face and he beckoned Tony toward him.

Tony’s heart fluttered. A tear of relief slipped from his eyes. He cussed and brushed it away. He hurriedly threw off his hoodie. 

Tony ran into the water, yelping as the cold seeped into his body. His teeth chattered and his limbs shook as he waded to Bucky.

Bucky swam a little closer to Tony so Tony wouldn’t have to wade as far out. Bucky wrapped his tail around Tony’s legs and twined one arm around Tony in a warming embrace.

Tony sighed and slumped against Bucky. He was still shaking from the cold, but it no longer felt like he had ice in his veins.

Tony was mildly aware that Bucky had only one arm around him while the other one was kept dipped in the water. He was curious about the odd pose, but Tony shoved his questions down and just enjoyed having Bucky near him.

He hadn’t even moved yet and he already missed Bucky terribly.

Tony heard Howard’s voice chastising him for being so attached to Bucky. It was another weakness, but unlike crying, which Tony could force himself not to do, Tony knew he couldn’t stop his feelings for Bucky. Bucky wasn’t just his first love. Bucky was the first real friend he’d ever had.

“Better?” Bucky’s hand rubbed up and down Tony’s back.

It took a moment for Tony to realize what Bucky was referring to, when he did, Tony nodded. “Still cold, but I might actually be able to write something if someone asked me to.” Tony held up his hand. His fingers trembled minutely. With a little more adjustment time, they would become still.

Bucky made a happy sound deep in his throat then bent down and kissed Tony.

Tony sighed happily into the kiss and sank more into Bucky.

Bucky’s eyes glimmered with excitement as he broke their kiss. “I have something for you.” Bucky pulled his hand out of the water and held up a gold necklace with a star pendant. The necklace dangled from Bucky’s fingertips, swaying in the wind.

Tony reached out and held the pendant in his hands, examining it. It didn’t look like any of the antiques from shipwrecks that Bucky had brought to him before.

Bucky let go of the chain, letting Tony have the necklace. He kissed Tony’s temple. “I found a way for us to be together.”

Tony jolted. He twisted in Bucky’s hold and stared up at his friend in shock and awe. “You did?”

Bucky smiled and tapped on the star pendant. “Once you put this necklace on, you’ll become a merman.”

Tony blinked up at Bucky.

He’ll become a…

“A merman?” Tony repeated, still grasping at the concept.

Bucky nodded enthusiastically. “Just like me.” Bucky untangled himself from Tony and swam backwards a bit to give them space. He then lifted up his tail and wiggled it front of Tony for show. “You’ll be able to breath underwater and swim all day. It will be great! I can also introduce you to all of my friends, and then we can go visit Loki.”

Tony didn’t know what to think. He’d never considered the possibility. He was so stunned he repeated the last word Bucky spoke. “Loki?”

Bucky nodded. “He’s the one who made the necklace. He says once he meets you that he’ll help us be together on land and water.”

Tony swallowed hard. “And you trust him?”

Bucky hesitated.

Tony’s heart clenched.

“He’s supposed to be one of the best sorcerers, so he’s our best chance.”

“But you don’t trust him,” Tony said.

Bucky frowned and his tail swished nervously in the water. “Tony, what’s wrong? You’re really pale? Are you cold again?”

Bucky swam back to Tony, tail wrapping around Tony’s legs again.

Before Bucky could get his arms around Tony, Tony spoke, “I don’t know.”

Bucky paused, arms raised mid-hug.

“You say you don’t trust this guy, and you want me to put this necklace on that is supposed to turn me into a merman, but do you even know if it works?”

Bucky lowered his arms. “He didn’t demonstrate it, but why would he lie?”

Tony looked down at the necklace in his hand and squeezed it. “I don’t know, but what if I turn into a fish or an otter or sea foam? What reason does he have to help us?”

Bucky was quiet and his expression was unreadable.

Tony knew Bucky wanted him to put on the necklace, but Tony was a thinker. Even when he was seemingly brash he was always thinking, calculating the odds and deciding if the risk was worth taking. Putting on the necklace would be life-changing, which was reason enough for him to give the decision pause. He also had only Bucky’s word to go on, and while he’d normally take a huge leap of faith on Bucky’s word alone, Bucky’s own word came from a man Bucky didn’t fully trust himself.

“I want to,” Tony said. He swallowed as his throat went dry, “but I need to think this over.”

Bucky’s tail unwound from Tony.

Hurt shined in Bucky’s eyes. “You need time?”

“I just…” Tony hesitated. “I just don’t want to make a mistake.” Bucky meant so much to him, but his whole life he’d been told what his future was and what he was going to do, and whenever he attempted to veer off track Howard had always been there to “correct” him. He didn’t want to make a mistake.

He didn’t want to make a mistake that could cost him everything.

“Okay,” Bucky voice came out rough, like he was choking on something. “Okay. I’ll give you time.”

Tony opened his mouth to thank Bucky, but before a sound came out, Bucky dove into the water and swam away.

Tony stared at the spot where he’d last seen his friend.

He was numb.

Numbness gave away to a small ache in his chest that slowly spread until he felt horribly hollow. It felt as if someone were scrapping out his insides as he stood there in the water, waiting and hoping to see Bucky emerge from the waves again.

He felt hot pinpricks in his eyes.

A shuddery gasped wracked him, and Tony knew what was to come.

Tony dropped down into the water and curled into himself. He wasn’t crying. He couldn’t cry underwater.


	7. Chapter 7

“Bucky?” Steve called to his friend quietly as he poked his head into the room of the sunken ship they liked to sleep in. It was not the kind of home other merfolk preferred (kelp, coral, and caves were the more traditional method of homes), but Bucky and him had never been normal. Plus, as apprehensive as Steve had been at first, he found he enjoyed the ship. It offered him many places to curl up and rest, and the ship itself wasn’t that far from where the rest of their pod was located. That fact alone was probably the only reason why the elder members of their pod hadn’t forced Bucky or Steve to live somewhere more sensible.

“Bucky,” Steve sighed in disappointment when he saw his friend lying face down on a bed layered in pink algae.

Steve swam over to his friend and touched his shoulder. “What’s wrong? You missed breakfast.” Honestly, the missed meal wasn’t that uncommon since Bucky usually returned from visiting Tony right around the time the rest of the pod woke up. However, Bucky had returned sooner than usual and fallen asleep right away. He should have eaten by now and also be swimming around with Steve and the others.

Bucky groaned.

“You’re going to need to speak up.”

Bucky rolled over and glared at Steve.

Or at least he tried to. His eyes were narrowed and his mouth was set in a firm line, but through all of the anger in his gaze Steve could see hurt shimmering below the surface.

“I was wrong,” Bucky spat out.

Steve blinked. He was not sure what his friend was talking about; although, he suspected Tony must have something to do with it. “About?”

Bucky crumpled under the question and he turned away from Steve with his head bowed. “I thought he felt the same.”

Definitely Tony.

Steve maneuvered himself so he was in front of his friend again. “You’re going to have to be a little more detailed, Bucky.”

“I thought he loved me, but-” Bucky cut himself off.

Steve’s heart lurched. “He said he didn’t love you?”

Bucky shook his head, and Steve was doubly confused.

“Then how do you know?”

Bucky huffed, blowing out bubbles then launching into his explanation. He talked about Tony going away, about Tony saying he wanted to be with Bucky, about his meeting with Loki and the necklace, and finally he told Steve how Tony reacted when he gave the Lander the necklace.

Bucky curled his tail into his chest and hugged it. “I thought we felt the same. He was going to be my mate.”

Steve bit his lip to keep from commenting on the ‘mate’ part. “I don’t think any of that means he doesn’t love you, Bucky. He said he needed time, right?”

Bucky scowled. “But I don’t! I was ready to give up my life in the ocean for him, but he wasn’t-” Bucky choked on his emotions and swallowed them down. He was silent a moment and then, “He doesn’t love me like I love him.”

Bucky’s words ground down on Steve’s heart. He may not have approved of Bucky relationship with Tony, but he had never wanted to see his friend in pain like this.

Unfortunately, as much as Steve wanted to coddle Bucky, he knew that wasn’t what his friend needed right now. “Bucky did you even know if it was possible for Tony to become merfolk before you talked to Loki? Because if you didn’t then I doubt Tony did either.”

Bucky scrunched up his face. “What are you getting at?”

Steve sighed and threw his arm around his friend’s shoulders. “I’m saying that you dropped him into a swarm of jellyfish. How did you think he was going to react?”

Bucky frowned. “But I-”

“Bucky, we may not know a lot about landers, but we do know that most of them don’t believe in magic. To him neither one of you becoming a lander or merfolk was possible.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Bucky admitted. He still looked depressed though. “But he wasn’t excited at all. He was scared. Maybe disgusted.” Bucky looked at his tail and frowned. “Do you think I disgust him?”

Steve smacked Bucky on the head.

“Ow.” Bucky rubbed the tender spot. “Whaddya do that for?”

“For being an idiot.”

Bucky blushed and bowed his head. “Yeah, I guess that was stupid. I just…” Bucky hands twitched in his lap. “…I really love him.”

Steve sighed and leaned against Bucky. “I know, Buck.”

They sat there in silence; Bucky mourning his feelings for Tony as Steve offered him comfort and support.

Because of the quiet they heard someone approaching long before they saw the new person.

“There you two are,” Sam swam into the room. “The others and I have been waiting for you two. Well, really Steve, but I guess you can tag along too, Bucky.” Sam grinned from ear to ear as he razzed Bucky. “We were going to check out those caverns we found yesterday. Are you two in or what?”

Bucky didn’t respond, which Steve assumed was Bucky’s way of declining.

Steve wasn’t going to let his friend mope though.

Steve returned Sam’s smile as he said, “Sure. Just give us a moment.”

“Sure. Just remember: no making out when we’re in the caverns.”

The tips of Steve’s ears flushed. Sam wasn’t the first person to tease Bucky and Steve like they were a couple, but no matter how many times such jokes and jabs were aimed at them, Steve couldn’t stop himself from turning red as a lobster. “Shut up and go.”

Sam chuckled as he swam off.

“You can go on your own,” Bucky grumbled. He began to lie down on the algae again.

“Oh no you don’t.” Steve grabbed Bucky’s wrist and yanked his friend through the water, ignoring Bucky’s protests. “You are not going to sulk. You’re going to go out for the day and forget about Tony for now. Okay?”

“Jeez, Steve, let go of my wrist! You may be tiny, but you’re going to dislocate my shoulder if you keep tugging like that.” Bucky flailed in Steve’s hold.

“ _Okay_?” Steve repeated himself, not letting up.

Bucky cursed. “Okay. Yes! Yes! I’ll forget about Tony.”

Steve nodded and let Bucky go. “Good.”


	8. Chapter 8

Tony fiddled with the necklace Bucky had given him the night prior. It was nice. Simple yet elegant. Tony would have put it on by now if it weren’t for the magic it possessed.

Footsteps headed toward Tony’s bedroom. Tony quickly pocketed the golden necklace. He grabbed a cardboard box halfway filled with his possessions and a book off his shelf.

Howard marched into the room. His gaze took everything in at once. “You haven’t made much progress since my last visit.”

Tony’s shoulders rammed together and he bit his bottom lip to keep from saying the sarcastic comment that came to mind. “I’m trying not to make the boxes too heavy, and I needed to get some extra packing material for my fragile things.”

Howard waved off Tony’s comment and plopped himself onto Tony’s bed, crossing one leg over the other. “Don’t worry about weight. The movers are paid to lift heavy boxes for a living.”

Howard scrunched his nose at Tony’s bookshelf. “Just throw out those books. We can buy you new ones.”

“But these have my notes,” Tony argued. There were also quite a few books on the shelf that weren’t for studying and he wasn’t sure Howard would let him purchase them again. Tony doubted Howard would let Tony continue to read stories about a group of rambunctious teens fighting off the hordes of Anubis. He _knew_ Howard would not let him buy anything about the ocean, no matter how educational, after Tony had asked to take a year off to study oceanology.

“What is that god awful smell?” Howard covered his nose, looking around the room again. He scowled and shot off of Tony’s bed.

Without asking, Howard threw open Tony’s closet and began rummaging through the things Tony had yet to pack.

“How-Dad!” Tony cried, dropping his book into his box. He hurried to Howard and grabbed him by the arm. “My underwear is in there!”

Howard scoffed and batted Tony away. “Nothing I haven’t seen before, Tony. That smell though.” Howard wrinkled his nose as he took another whiff. “Not here,” he mumbled.

“I’m a teenage boy.” Tony followed Howard as his father went from Tony’s closet to his dresser. “You know what they say about boys smelling at my age.”

Howard grabbed Tony by the head, yanked him forward and sniffed his hair. Howard shook his head and shoved Tony away. “Not you.”

Howard flung open the drawers of Tony’s dresser, but quickly dismissed them as the source of the smell.

Howard reached into Tony’s desk, and Tony’s heart leaped to his throat as Howard yanked open the top drawer of the desk.

Seated at the top of the drawer was the seashell necklace Bucky had made and given to Tony the night Tony had told Bucky about him moving away. The seaweed had long since dried out and smelled terribly. Tony had planned to buy some resin to preserve the seaweed and then wear the necklace once Howard was out of his life until the holidays.

Howard’s gaze narrowed as he picked the necklace out of the drawer. “What’s this?”

“Just something I made when I was bored,” Tony quickly said.

Howard flipped the necklace over in his hands. “Fine work. Seems like something you’ve done a lot based on the quality. What did you do with the others?”

“Others?” Tony repeated.

“Other necklaces.” Howard dangled the necklace from his fingertips. “This is not something you’d be able to make on a first try.”

Tony shrugged. “I am a genius, so-”

Howard ripped the necklace in half.

It was as if Howard had torn Tony’s heart apart too, and left the pieces to fall to the floor. Tony gaped as he stared at the shells and seaweed on the carpet.

In his mind he saw Bucky diving into the ocean and swimming away from him.

He didn’t know if he would ever get to see Bucky again, and his last happy memory with Bucky had been when he’d given Tony that necklace. It hadn’t been something Bucky had given because it would transform Tony or because he thought that it would comfort Tony. He had worked on it for hours or days, just to give to Tony because he loved Tony.

And Howard and destroyed the necklace like it was nothing.

Howard wiped his hands on his jacket. “It seems I broke it. You can make another one though, can’t you my boy?” Howard smiled and clapped a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “You clearly have the skills afterall.”

Tony’s chest hollowed.

Howard walked past Tony and paused in the doorway of the room. “Oh, and Tony, do remember to tell your girlfriend that your relationship is over. It wouldn’t be right to give her false hope.”

Howard took two steps, and Tony broke his silence.

“What the hell did I ever do to you?” Tony whispered harshly, his fists trembling at his sides.

Howard paused and glanced over his shoulder at his son. “It’s not what you’ve done to me Tony; it’s what I am doing _for_ you. You don’t need distractions, and anyone who shows interest in you now is just trying to take advantage of you. Trust me.”

“Trust you?” Tony whirled on Howard. “You just destroyed something of mine because you thought someone I love gave it to me! How can you expect me to trust you?”

Howard’s features went cold. He took slow steps back to Tony, glaring Tony down.

Tony fidgeted under Howard’s gaze, but he did his best to keep his head held high.

Howard jabbed Tony in the chest. “That. That right there is why you need me. ‘Love?’ You think you’re in love? You don’t even know what love is. If it weren’t for me, you’d throw everything away on a whim just because you think you’re in love.”

“I think I have a better idea than you what love is.”

“Say that to me after the first super model you bed crushes your heart under her stiletto heels.” With that, Howard pivoted and strolled down the hall to his own room.

Tony slammed the door and crumpled to his knees. He scooped up the pieces of the seashell necklace and held it close to his chest, wishing he could somehow put it back together.

Howard was wrong.

He was wrong about everything. Tony did know what love was, and even knowing what it felt like to love and be loved in return he still hadn’t thrown away his life on a whim like Howard had said he would.

No, instead he’d broken Bucky’s heart because he’s been so scared of making a mistake–he’d been so terrified of Howard and all of Howard’s predictions about Tony. Tony had given up the one thing that was good in his life just so he’d continue to follow Howard’s orders like some stupid dog that was so desperate for affection it didn’t care that its owner was neglecting it.

Tony took a shaky breath that burned in his chest. He stood and laid the remains of his seashell necklace across his desk.

He focused on that burn in his chest and used it to gather his determination.

He reached into his pocket and squeezed the golden necklace that he’d tucked away in there.

Tony knew where he was loved and wanted, and it wasn’t here.


	9. Chapter 9

Steve collapsed on the ocean floor and rolled around in the sand, his muscles wonderfully tired after a full day of exploring. He felt Bucky collapse beside him.

“Why does it feel like it’s been weeks since I’ve had a good, long swim like that?” Bucky mumbled.

“Probably, because you’ve been cutting out early for months now.” Sam whacked his tail across Bucky’s face as he swam over Steve and Bucky.

Steve grinned. “He still gets plenty of swimming done, it’s just more leisurely,” Steve teased.

“What have you been doing recently?” Natasha hummed as she circled around the three boys. Her hair billowed around her in the water, the netting in her hair having fallen out after it had gotten caught on a rock. “You usually like to lead our little adventures.”

Bucky huffed. “I think Steve’s starting to become more of a leader.”

Steve frowned. “Since when?”

Bucky chortled and rolled over. He took off toward their home. “I don’t know about you three, but I’m ready to clear out and sleep.”

Steve frowned and pushed himself up on his elbows. “Sleep?”

“Have to at some point,” Bucky answered, swimming away as he went.

Sam rolled his shoulders then stretched his arms over his head. “I think I rather get a meal. Any of you feel like joining me?”

Natasha nodded, swimming to Sam’s side.

“Steve?” Sam asked.

Steve bit the inside of his cheek. His stomach grumbled, but his concern for Bucky urged him to check on his best friend. He shook his head and pushed up and off the sand. “I’m tired.”

“Sure you are,” Sam said, his eyes lit up with teasing.

Natasha smiled, her eyes also glimmering with playfulness.

Steve blushed furiously, but refused to respond to Sam’s bait. Instead Steve swam toward his shared home with Bucky, never catching up with his friend until he reached the sunken ship.

Bucky had curled up in a broken safe that they’d pushed onto its back. He’d wrapped his tail  tightly around him, but the safe so small that Bucky had to flop the end of his tail over the side. Bucky’s eyes were already shut, but the uneven rise and fall of his chest suggested that he was still awake.

“Aren’t you going to visit Tony?” Steve asked.

Bucky’s brow furrowed. “Tony? Do we know a Tony?”

Steve blinked, thrown by Bucky’s question. “Tony.” Steve gestured helplessly. “You know. Tony: the guy you’ve been sneaking out to see every night for months now.”

Bucky’s frown deepened, but he kept his eyes shut, still trying to fall asleep. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

It clicked in Steve’s head what Bucky was doing. “Real cute, Bucky. I tell you to forget about Tony and now you’re actually pretending to.”

Bucky scowled and finally opened his eyes. “I’m trying to sleep, Steve. Could you knock it off with this game of yours. It’s not funny, and it’s kinda creepin’ me out some.” Bucky huffed and ducked his head back down into the safe. He covered his head with his fin.

Steve huffed. “I know you’re upset, but you said Tony only has a few days left until he goes away. What if today is the last day you get to see him? You don’t want your last moment together to have been a fight, do you?”

Bucky grumbled, but didn’t leave the safe.

Anger built in Steve’s chest. He hadn’t been crazy about Bucky’s relationship with Tony, but even he knew how wrong it was for Bucky to act like Tony never existed just because he was still upset that Tony had been hesitant to become a merman.

Steve had also seen the way Tony had made Bucky happy.

Maybe Tony and Steve had never really met, but Steve knew Tony deserved better than Bucky’s petulant attitude.

“Fine, if you’re not going to visit him, then I’m at least going to let him know so he doesn’t wait out there all night for you.” Steve swam out of the room. He heard Bucky shout something after him, but Steve paid it no mind.

Steve had followed Bucky to Tony enough times that the route to the small beach was easy to remember. He was disappointed when Bucky never joined him, but Steve shoved down his feelings on the matter. He could talk to Bucky about it later. For now, Steve was on a mission.

Steve was almost to the beach when he stopped.

There was another merman in the water, and tangled up in the kelp. The red, orange, and gold scales of the merman’s tail made him easy to spot in the water. His fins and tail were still small, suggesting he was around Steve’s age.

The merman wrestled in the kelp, cursing before letting go of the plant and floating in the water. He grasped at brown strands of hair and let out a frustrated noise that sent bubbles shooting up around his face.

Steve shook himself out of his shocked state and swam up to the young man.

He’d never met a merman who couldn’t untangle themselves from the kelp before. That was something that only happened to babies.  “Are you okay?” Steve asked.

The boy whirled around, and in an instant Steve recognized the face looking back at him, and one look at the golden star necklace around the boy’s neck confirmed his identity.

Tony.


	10. Chapter 10

Tony waited at the edge of the beach dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. He clutched the star necklace in his hand. The pendant pressed into his palm, imprinting on the skin.

Tony shivered as the water crested the shore and touched his toes.

He hadn’t been waiting for Bucky long, but he was freezing from his lack of jacket and long pants. He’d chosen his outfit because he’d assumed he’d be part fish by by the end of the night and wouldn’t need his clothes.

Tony ignored the worry churning his stomach and the constant voice in the back of his head that whispered Bucky would not come.

Tony was early. The last remains of sunlight made the night sky a dark blue; Bucky would not show until the sky was pitch black.

The water lapped at Tony’s toes again, and Tony gave a full body shudder.

Tony cast his gaze around the small beach. No one was around, and while he would have preferred to have Bucky there when he transformed, Tony was anxious to get the transformation over with. Plus, wouldn’t it be a nice surprise for when Bucky came? After Tony had broken his heart, wouldn’t Bucky just love to see Tony as a merman?

Tony took another furtive glance around then peeled his shirt off. He tossed the article of clothing to the side then waited for that anticipated moment someone would pass by and see him. When no one appeared, Tony hooked his fingers on the waistband of his shorts and underwear. In a quick move, he swept his clothes off and threw them next to his shirt.

Tony dashed into the water, cursing and biting down a scream as the cold water touched his more sensitive areas. Tony swam out into deeper waters, but keep the shore in sight. When he felt he was distant enough from the land that no one would see him transform, Tony brought out the hand holding the magic necklace from the water.

He stared at the seemingly innocuous piece of jewelry for a moment.

This was it, he told himself. No going back.

Tony took a deep breath and draped the necklace over his head and around his neck.

Nothing happened.

Tony frowned and craned his head over his shoulder, examining his backside to see if any scales had sprouted.

He touched his abdomen, sliding his hands down it in search of a difference in texture. Bucky hadn’t said if the transformation would be instantaneous or–

Tony gasped as pain lanced down his stomach to his legs.

He tucked his knees into his chest, causing his body to sink into the water.

With a gasp Tony uncurled himself and swam for the surface, only to be stopped by another shockwave of pain.

Bubbles burst from him as he let out another gasp. Water poured it his mouth and Tony scrambled to shut it, only to cough and release more air as pain continued to wrack his body.

Tony squeezed his eyes shut and curled into himself, no longer thinking about reaching the surface as his body ached all over.

Tony gritted his teeth as the pain grew stronger. It felt as if he’d fallen into a patch of nettles while someone rammed a sword repeated through his stomach. His throat grew hoarse, and his nostrils ached as if he was on the verge of a bloody nose.

Tony landed in something soft, and he burrowed into the softness as he waited for the pain to die down.

It felt like hours, but the pain eventually ebbed.

Tony felt his tail flick weakly against the sand. He knew he should be more in awe of the sensation of having a tail, and that he should also be marveling at the appearance of his new appendage, but his brain was too numb and exhausted from his transformation to summon such emotions. Instead, he continued to lay on the ground until some of his strength finally returned to him.

Tony pushed himself onto his hands and looked himself over.

He blinked at the flashy colors of his tail. He loved red and gold, so he didn’t mind the brightness of his tail and fins, but he was shocked. Bucky’s tail had been a mix of blues and grays. Tony had assumed his tail would look similar, especially since Steve’s tail hadn’t looked that much different from Bucky’s. Tony had assumed the darker colors were normal–that they helped protect Bucky from predators.

Tony tried flexing his tail, and suddenly his lower half was lifted higher than his head.

Tony let out a cry of surprise and tried to right himself.

What proceeded was a minutes of rolling around in the water as Tony figured out how to move with his new tail.

Tony really wished he’d waited for Bucky. Bucky would have been able to help him learn how to swim.

Gut churning, dread rammed into Tony. He looked around and tried to recognize where he was.

His worry spiked when he realized he had no clue where he was located, not even in relation to the beach.

He’d spent enough time in the water that by now he’d probably been dragged deeper into the ocean and was a lot farther from the beach than when he started.

Tony looked up.

If he could get to the surface maybe he could figure out where he was.

It took a few attempts to angle himself correctly, but Tony swam toward the surface.

He gasped as he head broke through the water.

He felt something change in his throat, and Tony touched his neck. It didn’t feel like he’d sprouted gills, but something was different with his respiratory system.

Coughing, Tony twisted around until he spotted the beach in the distance.

Darkness had fallen, yet Tony was stunned to see as well as if it were day. He had to twist and turn around, but he eventually saw what appeared to be the strip of beach he’d been on.

Relief washed over Tony, and he could just about sink happily into the waters below. He’d been certain he would have drifted too far out into the water to see anything.

Naturally, it brought out his mathematician side. Clearly what had felt like hours of agony to him had not been that long or else he would not be able to see the shore. However, there was his new “night vision” to take into consideration, if it could even be called that. Obviously the ocean was darker the lower one went, so his eyes had to be able to see in the dark. Did that translate into seeing farther distances though? Because if so, then Tony would have to adjust his calculations to make up for the difference in farsightedness.

Tony mulled over these questions as he swam to shore, crawling through the water as if he were still human. It felt awkward to him, and soon Tony dove just below the surface, and used his tail to do most of the work.

Tony grumbled as he maneuvered his way through the kelp. It felt slimy against him and it kept wrapping around him. Tony batted away the obnoxious, yellow plant, only to be caught time and time again by the evil foliage.

Tony about nearly screamed when for the third time he was entangled in the kelp. Tony wrestled with the leaves, tearing off chunks, yet still somehow ending up even more entangled the longer he floated near the kelp.

Tony grew so frustrated, he finally forced himself to stop and take a moment to calm down.

“Are you okay?” A voice asked.

Tony whirled.

He’d only seen the blond merboy a few times, and every time it had just been a glance, but Tony recognized Steve in an instant. “Steve?”

Wide, blue eyes jumped from the necklace around Tony’s neck to Tony’s face.

“You put on the necklace!” Tony wasn’t sure if it was surprise, awe, or fright that made Steve shout, but it was obvious that Steve was about two seconds away from flipping out–possibly literally, considering the type of acrobatics that could be performed underwater.

Tony huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, feigning flippancy. “Yeah. I thought about it, like I told Bucky I would, and I decided that I want to be a merman.” Tony unfolded his arms and angled himself to look behind Steve. “Is Bucky with you?”

Tony’s heart squeezed as he searched for any sign of Bucky but saw none.

Steve shook his head–the movement slow and appearing be an subconscious act–as he swam toward Tony. With easy movements, Steve unwrapped the kelp from around Tony’s tail. He then hooked his fingertips under Tony’s and gently guided Tony away from the kelp as if Tony were the most fragile thing in the ocean.

Tony both hated and appreciated the gentle treatment. The internal part of him that was freaking out welcomed the friendliness, but his pride felt like it was taking a beating.

Tony took his hands away from Steve. “So he’s still mad at me?”

Tony couldn’t look Steve in the eye. He forced himself to chuckle and put on a smile. “I guess I can’t blame him. It was a big decision, but Bucky’s been very clear about his feelings too. I should have handled it better. Found some way to phrase it more gently.”

Steve kept staring at Tony.

Tony glared at Steve from the corner of his eye. “So do merfolk think it’s okay to stare at others, or is it just you?”

Steve blinked and shook his head. His gaze flickered over Tony one more time before he seized Tony by the wrist and dragged Tony through the water. “You have to see him.”

Tony yelped and yanked his wrist back. “Hey! You don’t get to just drag me around like I’m some doll. Besides, if Bucky doesn’t want to see me, then I’m not going to force him.”

“Bucky wants to see you; he’s just being an idiot.” Steve paused. “…and even if he didn’t, he needs to see you now. You just turned yourself into one of us for him. If he still doesn’t want to see you after that, then someone else has taken over his brain and turned him into someone else.”

Tony’s heart ached. He really wanted to see Bucky but–

Steve grabbed hold of Tony’s hands again and squeezed. “Tony, I promise nothing bad is going to happen to you if you go see Bucky.”

Tony snorted. “You think I’m scared something bad will happen to me?”

“I can’t think of any other reason why you wouldn’t be rushing off to find your potential mate after what you’ve done for him.”

Steve’s candor made Tony’s body warm with embarrassment. He hoped the coloring of his tail and fins disguised any flush of his skin.

Once again, Tony retrieved his hands from Steve’s, but whereas before he’d yanked them away as if burned, now he slowly pulled them out from Steve’s grip. “Well, I can’t have you thinking I’m scared when I’m not, so go on.” Tony waved Steve off. “Show me the way. I’m sure Bucky will love to see me.”

Steve’s face lit up like a star in the sky. With a wave, Steve twisted and swam deeper into the ocean.

Tony grumbled as he struggled a few times to get himself moving properly, but once he adjusted, he followed Steve with ease.

Tony marveled at how his eyesight didn’t seem to suffer at all the farther down he went, despite the lack of light coming from above. He also had to stop himself every time a group of fish swam past him. Most of the marine life he’d ever seen had been in books or the aquarium, and now he could simply reach out and touch them if he wanted to.

“So uh… Bucky and I live together, just so you know. I hope that isn’t a problem.”

Tony blinked, coming out of his reverie. “I know. He’s told me.”

“Oh. Uh. Good.” Pink tinged the tips of Steve’s ears. He bit the inside of his cheek and glanced at Tony as they swam.

It took Tony a moment to realize Steve was struggling for conversation topics. The two of them had never really talked before, and now Steve was leading Tony to his home.

“So what do you eat?” Tony asked. He genuinely needed to know if he was going to be a merman, and the question would help Steve feel less awkward.

“Mostly plants and small fish.”

Tony blinked, surprised. “Small fish?” Tony poked at his teeth with his tongue. He still had his canines, so obviously he could still eat meat, he just hadn’t considered it.

Steve nodded.

“So do you need tools to catch and eat the fish or do you just grab and bite?” It didn’t feel like Tony had the proper set of teeth to start chomping down on fish without tools to help.

Steve grinned. “If your transformation worked then you should have a second, small row of teeth behind the first that come out when you eat meat.”

“Seriously?” Tony’s eyes widened. He prodded at his gums for any signs of the second row.

“Seriously.”

“That’s so cool.”

Steve chuckled and from there on conversation flowed easily between them. The time it took to travel felt like seconds rather than minutes.

Steve paused in the middle of his swim. He gnawed on his bottom lip as he eyed a series of rock walls and another kelp forest.

Steve nodded his head in one direction then took off, curtailing the kelp and rocks.

Tony swam a little closer to Steve and whispered. “Is there something there?”

“A lot of our pod live there, and if they see you they are going to have a lot of questions. We should get you to Bucky first.”

Tony nodded, both excited and nervous at the thought of meeting other merfolk. He’d known there were others out there thanks to Bucky, but knowing was different than experiencing it.

He did want to see Bucky first though, even if the thought of Bucky made his stomach knot uncontrollably. He wanted to have Bucky by his side when he finally was introduced to Bucky’s pod.  

Steve led the way to a sunken ship, and Tony used all of his willpower not to gush and flail at the sight.

A sunken ship! An actual sunken ship underwater that he could explore! Tony just wanted to launch past Steve and begin examining the structure of the ship and all the trinkets hidden within.

Tony reminded himself that the ship was Steve and Bucky’s home, and such excitement, while nice, probably wasn’t appropriate. He could have his nerd moment later. For now, he’d act like a perfect guest.

Well, semi-perfect.

Steve led Tony through a hole in the hull of the ship and guided Tony through a narrow corridor to a room that looked like it had belonged to someone important due to its size and the many rusted and eroded items in the room.

Tony’s heart fluttered at the blue-gray tail that flopped out of the safe.

He’d recognize that tail anywhere.

Tony swallowed hard.

Steve eyed Tony then looked at Bucky. With a sigh, Steve swam over to his friend and reached into the safe. “Bucky. Hey, Buck. Wake up. You’re going to want to see this.”

Bucky grumbled and whacked at Steve’s head. Steve dodged Bucky’s swat. He reached down into the safe and shook Bucky harder.

Bucky groaned and his tail stretched, cascading over the edge of the safe even more.

Bucky pushed himself up and lounged his arms and chest along the edge of the safe. He glared at Steve with sleep-lidded eyes. “What is your problem? Did a shark nibble on someone again?”

Steve grabbed Bucky’s chin and turned Bucky’s head toward Tony.

Tony stiffened and drew in a mouthful of water.

Bucky blinked. He squinted his eyes and furrowed his brow. “Hi?”

Bucky turned his head toward Steve. “Okay, no joking, Steve, what is going on?”

An iron fist clenched around Tony’s heart.

Steve visibly jerked at Bucky’s question. “Bucky, it’s Tony.” Steve gestured at Tony. “Look.”

Bucky frowned and looked at Tony. His lips curled downward even more, and the dubious expression he sent Tony’s way crushed Tony’s heart into tiny pieces.

“I really don’t like this prank you two are trying to pull,” Bucky said. “It’s not funny; it’s creepy.”

“Bucky.” Steve gesticulated helplessly with his hands. “This isn’t funny. Stop acting like you don’t know who Tony is.”

Bucky scowled. “I don’t know who he is!”

The tiny pieces of Tony’s heart turned to dust and Tony floated down to the floor as it hit Tony that Bucky wasn’t lying.

Bucky didn’t remember him.


	11. Chapter 11

Tony clutched the star pendant. The five points jabbed into his palm and anchored him as the rest of his mind spun out of control.

“You’ve been swimming off to see Tony for months, Bucky.”

“I think I’d remember doing that, Steve. Stop with the prank already.”

Tony’s chest ached in its hollowness. It hurt; Bucky’s inability to remember him cut him far worse than the times he’d been left out from group activities because of his age or when Howard was particularly vicious with his words.

“I swear you and Tony have been meeting secretly for months, Bucky.”

“And I swear I have no idea who this guy is.”

Steve’s eyes widened. His head swiveled between Bucky and Tony. “But… how?”

Tony looked down at the necklace in his hand, willing himself to feel numb even as his wounds festered. “Did he remember me at all today?”

“No,” Bucky answered.

Steve paused for a moment. “Yes. In the morning. I think in the afternoon too, but I can’t be too sure. He didn’t say anything about you because we were with our other friends who don’t know about you. I caught him moping a few times though, so I’m almost positive he had to have remembered you then.”

Bucky made a frustrated sound and pushed himself out of the safe. “How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t know him?” Bucky pointed at Tony.

The gestured was like an arrow to Tony’s already aching chest, but Tony hid his pain behind a calm mask. “Until you get it through your thick skull that you might not remember me, but I remember you. Also, maybe you should stop and consider getting new friends if you really think Steve here would play such a nasty trick on you.”

Bucky was taken aback.

Tony inhaled to calm himself. He needed to keep calm and not let others see his weakness, that was what Howard was always telling him. If he could do that, then maybe he could get out of this situation with his pride still intact. “If you remembered me until this evening then I bet this,” Tony held up the star pendant, “is the trigger.”

Steve eyes widened and he swam closer to Tony to get a better look at the necklace. “Of course. Bucky said that Loki had mentioned a price would have to be paid for the magic to work. I just didn’t-”

“Wait. Wait.” Bucky shook his head in disbelief. “You’re saying I went to talk to Loki? Why would I do an idiotic thing like that? Thor may say Loki is harmless, but he’s not. Loki loves playing tricks on people.”

“Well, until a little while ago, you were in love with Tony, so that’s why,” Steve stated.

Bucky eyed Tony. His eyes drifted down Tony’s tail and his frown deepened. Bucky glanced at his own tail and a flicker of insecurity entered his gaze before vanishing. “Okay, fine, let’s say I believe you. Why would I need Loki’s help courting Tony?”

“You didn’t need help with courting,” Tony’s volume dropped, and he cursed the vulnerability in his tone.

“Tony is a lander,” Steve stated.

Bucky jerked backed so fast from Tony that he crashed into the ship’s wall.

Tony winced at the wide-eye horror on Bucky’s face.

“You’re shitting me.”

Steve shook his head.

“Why would I do a stupid thing like fall in love with a lander?”

“Bucky!” Steve shouted in reprimand.

Tony bit the inside of his cheek and told himself not to focus on the way the pain in his chest strengthened at Bucky’s words. As long as he didn’t focus on it, then he couldn’t a feel a thing.

Pink tinged Bucky’s cheeks. He glanced at Tony then swiftly lowered his gaze. “Sorry, but I… I may be curious about landers, but I would never…” Bucky trailed off. “… at least I thought I would never.” Bucky turned to Steve. “You swear on our friendship that you are not making any of this up?”

“I swear,” Steve said.

Bucky cussed.

He rubbed the back of his neck as he grumbled to himself. From the corner of his eyes he scanned Tony’s form again. He exhaled. “So if you’re merfolk now, then I’m guessing that necklace is what changed ya?”

Tony nodded.

“And it took my memories.”

It wasn’t a question, but Tony nodded nonetheless. “That’s my theory at least.”

“Loki had said you and Tony would need to pay a price,” Steve tacked on. “I guess for you it’s memories.”

“And what about you?” Bucky aimed at Tony.

Tony gestured to himself. “I’m part fish now. I can’t exactly have the life I once had like this.”

“Not if you take off that necklace,” Bucky mumbled.

It took a second, but at the exact same time all three of them perked up with realization.

“I just have to take off the necklace and Bucky will remember me,” Tony exclaimed.

“Well then, do it,” Bucky encouraged, excitement in his voice.

Steve grabbed hold of Tony’s wrist to keep Tony from doing as Bucky said. “Hold it. Tony will probably turn back into a lander once he takes off the necklace. We need to be near land when he does. Also, we should take him to Loki first.”

“Why?” Tony and Bucky whined in unison.

The two startled at their shared moment and looked at each other.

The corner of Steve’s mouth quirked at their reactions. “Because Bucky also said that all you two had to do in order to be together on land and in water was to go see Loki together.” Steve gestured between them. “You just have visit Loki and then Bucky will probably get his memories back and you two will be able to go back and forth between living on land and in the ocean.”

Bucky’s eyes became as round as saucers. “I’ll get to see what the inside of a lander’s house looks like and get to try some of that food they’re always eating on the beaches?”

Tony snorted in amusement. “If you wanted a sandwich or hot dog so bad, you could have just asked and I would have brought you one.”

“For real?” Bucky looked so earnest and innocent as he asked, it soothed Tony’s heartache a little and brought a small smile to his face.

“Yeah,” Tony answered.

“Then it’s settled.” Steve clapped Tony on the shoulder. “We’ll go see Loki in the morning.”

“The morning?” Tony frowned.

Steve quirked an eyebrow at Tony. “You really want to bother a sorcerer in the middle of the night? A sorcerer who has a reputation for being quite malicious when angered?”

“Good point, but where will I sleep?” Tony looked around the small room. There were some rusted remains of a bed nearby that were covered in pink algae. It didn’t look comfortable to sleep on at all, and Tony doubted he’d sleep at all crammed into a small space like Bucky had.

Bucky gestured around the room. “Just pick a spot.”

Tony pursed his lips but didn’t say anything as he struggled to find any location in the room that appealed to him.

“You can sleep with me,” Steve said. “I usually like to find a corner or someplace a little snug to tuck myself into. I can think a of a few places that would be comfortable for both of us.”

The offer was appealing. Tony wasn’t a fan of being squished into a tiny space, but he knew he’d be a lot better off with someone close by. It was his first night as a merman, and knew he’d wake up in the middle of the night and panic if he was alone. He needed someone there to remind him where he was and that he was safe.

“Steve,” a hint of pleading had entered Bucky’s tone, “he’s not a baby. He can sleep on his own.”

Steve huffed. “He might as well be. He’s only been a merman for a couple of hours, Bucky.”

Bucky opened his mouth then shut it. His eyes shown with a desire to speak, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

The pain that Bucky’s innocence had soothed was reawakened once again in Tony, but Tony didn’t let it show. He focused on Steve instead. “If you don’t mind.” His pride wept at his acceptance of Steve’s offer, but he knew he’d be happier in the long run if he joined Steve.

Steve smiled. “It will be like when Bucky and I were kids.” Steve took off toward the doorway and waved Tony to follow him. “Come on. I already have a couple of spots in mind. Just tell me which appeals to you more.”

“So even merfolk have sleepovers, huh?” Tony joked, swimming after Steve.

Probably for the first time in his life he was happy to put some distance between Bucky and himself.


	12. Chapter 12

Bucky flipped over in the safe. His new position didn’t feel any more comfortable than the last or help him silence his thoughts.

He had lost some of his memories, and not just memories of when he was a baby or a kid, but recent memories–months of memories. Were the memories he’d had in the last two months real or were they fake ones created by Loki? It was so hard to tell. Fake mundane memories were worrisome but something he could overcome, but what about memories of spending the afternoons with Steve, Sam, and Natasha? Were those fake? Those were the memories that turned his insides cold with fear at the mere thought of them being fake.

Bucky stomach roiled and he wanted nothing more than to go to Steve for encouragement, but to do so would mean he’d have to see Tony too.

Bitterness rose up in Bucky at the thought.

Why was Steve being so nice to that punk anyway? Sure, Tony was pretty with his colorful tail and shimmering fins that probably dazzled in the sunlight. Heck, he even had a cute face, but Bucky was Steve’s best friend. Steve should have been on his side and comforting him, not Tony.

Bucky rolled over again and scrunched his nose.

Okay, he could admit, maybe Tony needed some help and comfort too, but not to the point where Steve turned on Bucky and abandoned him. Hadn’t Steve cared that Bucky was missing huge chunks of memory? Wasn’t he worried about how terrifying that was for Bucky? Just because Bucky hadn’t been the one looking like he’d had his heart crushed, didn’t mean Bucky was unaffected by this magic stuff.

Bucky blew out a stream of bubbles and finally gave up on sleep. He was too frustrated to rest anyway. He floated out of the safe and drifted through the ship, mindlessly searching for Steve, but not putting any real effort into it.

It was Tony’s tail poking out from the floorboards that caught his eye as he was wandering that led him to Steve.

Bucky recognized the room–it had been the most interesting room because unlike all the other ones there was a hidden space tucked into the floors. When Steve and Bucky had first found it a chest as well as several items had been tucked inside. Steve and Bucky had theorized that the lander who owned the room must have been trying to hide all of their goods from the others and either made the secret compartment themselves or had had someone else do it. Either way, the space was large enough that Steve and Bucky had often used it as a resting spot when they were younger.

Seeing Steve and Tony tucked into that same space now, back to back, clenched on Bucky’s heart and dragged it down to the depths of his gut where it was eroded away by an acidic feeling.

He hated that feeling.

Bucky didn’t know how long he lingered, but it was enough for him to catch Tony’s tail flicker, his brow burrow, and his body squirm. Tony emitted a high pitch sound that cut through the horrible feeling in Bucky’s gut.

Bucky’s protective instincts flared and he was trapped in place as his desire to help warred against a pettiness that had taken a hold of him.

Tony’s eyes fluttered and opened. Groggy brown eyes stared up at Bucky. Lips curled upward and relief and happiness entered Tony’s voice as he whispered, “Bucky.”

The emotion in Tony’s voice threw Bucky and squashed any residual feelings of pettiness.

Disappointment constricted Bucky’s chest when a moment later Tony’s eyes lit up with realization and any relief or joy he’d felt vanished from his features. Hurt consumed his face, but was swiftly replaced with a forced smile. “Sorry, probably woke you. I’ll try to keep it down.”

Tony was apologizing? Apologizing because he’d made noises in his sleep?

“What is wrong with you?” Bucky asked.

Tony’s shoulders flinched, but his expression remained forcefully jovial. “A lot of things, but nothing I can’t handle.” Tony glanced behind him at Steve, who was still curled up and sleeping. “We better be quiet if we don’t want to wake him.”

Bucky shook his head, unwilling to believe Tony’s response. “Do you just let anemones grow all over you?”

Tony’s smile faltered long enough for him to look confused.

“You can’t control what sounds you make in your sleep,” Bucky clarified. He crossed his arms over his chest as he scrutinized Tony for what felt like the dozenth time since they’d met–met again. “Are you just going to let me pick on you whenever I want?”

“No,” Tony answered petulantly. “I’m just not going to be an asshole either.” Tony turned his head away from Bucky, and mumbled. “It’s probably scary knowing someone or something manipulated your memories. You’re probably mad, and you don’t need me making things harder on you. Letting you get a decent night’s sleep is just a small thing I can do to make things easier on you.”

It felt like a sunfish had rammed right into Bucky. He didn’t know how to respond to Tony.

How was it that Tony had realized how eerie the situation was for Bucky, but Steve seemed unaware? Also, why would Tony care when Bucky had been so mean to him so far? Tony should be mad at him. He should be furious at Bucky for forgetting him and even more angry because of how Bucky had reacted to him. They had been in love and Bucky had forgotten.

Tony was being too nice.

So nice that it made Bucky’s stomach flip and his fingers twitch with some kind of desire.

Tony exhaled and lowered himself into his resting spot. “Just ignore me. I’ll keep quiet.”

And with those words, Tony was somehow pulling on every protective instinct Bucky possessed. He couldn’t stop himself from getting sucked down to Tony’s side anymore than he could escape an especially strong current.

Tony startled when Bucky nudged him closer to Steve. “Move over.”

“What are you doing?” Tony whispered harshly.

“Can’t sleep alone. I can sleep next to Steve, but he’s pinned pretty close to the wall already.” Bucky cocked his chin at Steve, who was pressed up against the wall just as Backy had said.

Tony followed Bucky’s gaze then looked back up at Bucky. Worry shimmered in Tony’s eyes that was than dimmed as Tony put on a mask of indifference. “I can always leave and you can sleep next to Steve.”

Bucky scowled. “Don’t be stupid. You don’t want to sleep alone either, and I don’t mind sleeping next to you if you don’t mind sleeping next to me.”

Tony was quiet for a moment, mulling over Bucky’s words. Tony scooted back, his back flush against Steve’s to create a small pocket of space between him and the wall closest to him.

Bucky settled into the small space and let his tail flop over Tony’s.

Steve snorted and lifted his head. He looked over his shoulder at Bucky and Tony. “Bucky?”

Bucky shushed Steve. “Just felt like joining you two.”

Steve nodded then let his head flop down.

Tony stared and Bucky and Bucky stared in turn. They were facing each other, and it would be difficult for Bucky to flip so his back faced Tony without waking Steve again.

Bucky grunted and closed his eyes.

If he didn’t look then things wouldn’t be awkward between him and Tony.

Tony shifted next Bucky. His hand rested where Bucky’s waist changed from flesh to scales.

“Is this okay?” Tony asked quietly.

“It’s fine. My tail okay on top of yours?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.” Bucky rested his head on his arm. “Goodnight.”

There was a pause then Tony’s forehead rested against Bucky’s chest. “Night.”


	13. Chapter 13

“Time to wake you lazy–” an unknown male voice cut off.

Tony tensed as he was jolted awake from sleep by the unfamiliar voice.

Bucky rolled over slightly on top of Tony, shielding Tony from the intruder. Bucky grumbled and buried his face in Tony’s hair. “Shut up.”

Steve groaned and squirmed behind Tony. “Come back later, Sam.” Steve yawned. “I feel like I didn’t get any sleep at all.”

Bucky tensed above Tony. His eyes flung open and met Tony’s.

Tony smiled sheepishly at Bucky, whose face scrunched in confusion while his eyes shone with panic.

“Who the depths is that?” Sam asked and suddenly there was another merman floating overhead. His tail and fins were dark gray with splashes of maroon hidden among the scales. His hair was shaved down to dark, springs of curls that were little more than fuzz, and there were signs of facial hair starting to grow around his plump cheeks. He was cute and would grow into someone handsome.

Bucky was still tense on top of Tony, but at Sam’s question Bucky’s eyes lit up with a memory.

At the same time, Steve registered what was going on and he flung his upper half up. “Sam! Nat! What are you two doing here?”

“We came to wake you up,” a feminine voice answered. “Now answer Sam’s question.”

“I’m Tony,” Tony answered, sliding out from under Bucky so he could get a better view of Sam and Nat.

Tony blinked at the sight of Nat.

The girl was all blacks and reds. Her black tail had brilliant red tipped fins that matched the fiery locks of her hair she had netted and pulled into a bun. She was pretty, but Tony had a hard time admiring her looks when there was one very important thing missing from her. “Where’s your bra?”

Nat frowned and cocked her head.

Tony placed his palm on his nipples to demonstrate. “You know, seashells to cover the nipples?”

Natasha’s frown deepened. “Why would I wear anything like that?”

“That sounds painful.” Sam grimaced. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Embarrassment burned through Tony. His mind raced for something to say to recover from his faux pas.

Suddenly Bucky was there in front of him with an arm slung over Tony’s shoulder. “Tony comes from a different pod. The girls in Tony’s pod wear bras all the time.”

Tony nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, it keeps their breasts perky, and I hear it keeps them warm during the winter too.” Tony winced. “I hear a lot of girls say bras pinch though, so maybe they aren’t that great.”

Natasha scoffed. “Of course seashells would pinch. If they really want to cover their breasts then they should wrap them in seaweed. It’s softer and you can adjust how tight you want your breasts to be held.”

Sam circled Tony and Bucky, eyes drifting over Tony’s body.

Bucky tightened his hold around Tony’s shoulders, unintentionally pressing his cheek against Tony’s temple.

“So you’re from another pod?” Sam asked.

Tony nodded.

“What are you doing out here? It’s not migrating season.”

Merfolk migrated?

Questions flooded Tony’s mind. Bucky had never mentioned migration at all. Where did merfolk migrate to? Did they migrate for food or breeding purposes? Both? How often did they migrate?

“You shouldn’t be so rude, Sam,” Steve chastised.

“I’m curious too,” Nat stated.

“Nat!” Steve cried out in exasperation.

“It’s okay, Steve.” Tony genuinely smiled. It was nerve wracking being interrogated by Bucky and Steve’s friends, but Tony was pretty good about thinking on his feet, and he didn’t have to stray far from the truth. “My pod’s a little odd. It’s really just my parents, a few people my parents trust, and me. Well, it’s mostly just them and me now, but sometimes Uncle Obie visits–he has his own pod. My parents believe in education, so they send me places to learn new things.”

“Hold it,” Sam cut Tony off. “You’re saying your parents let you swim off alone? What do the other elders think?”

“He already said it’s just him and his parents,” Nat spoke up, her voice quiet and thoughtful. “I don’t think he has any elders besides them.”

“And they still let you go off on your own?” Sam was wide-eyed. “Do they want you to get swallowed by a whale?”

“I don’t think they even consider that happening,” Tony answered honestly.

“Your parents sound like crap,” Sam stated.

Nat elbowed Sam and Steve sent Sam a warning look.

The end of Bucky’s tail wrapped around Tony’s, and Bucky put himself a little more in front of Tony. “Stop being such a Toadfish.”

Sam’s tail twitched and he lowered his head just a tad. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. My mom is nice, but my dad is pretty bad, so I’m not that offended,” Tony said.

“So how did you three meet?” Nat’s eyes drifted down to where Bucky and Tony’s fins brushed then back to their faces. “You seem close.”

Tony opened his mouth to answer, then shut it. His plan had been to stick to the truth as close as possible, but he wasn’t sure how Bucky would feel about such a strategy in this instance.

“Tony and I met about two months ago,” Bucky answered for them.

“Same here,” Steve said. “We didn’t talk much though.”

Nat nodded, her gaze once again going to Tony and Bucky’s tails.

Tony slipped his tail away from Bucky’s.

Bucky appeared startled. He looked down to see Tony pull his tail away from his.

He blinked and scanned their position.

Bucky loosened his hold on Tony for a moment then tightened it again. “Fuck it. I’m courting Tony.”

Sam and Steve’s jaws dropped while Nat was visibly intrigued.

“W-what?” Sam spluttered, his head swiveling between Bucky and Steve. “But you two…Haven’t you–”

Steve’s face turned as red as Tony’s tail. “How many times do I have to tell you that Bucky and I are just friends?”

“Yeah, Sam?” Bucky teased. “How many times does he have to tell you?”

“Shut up, Buck!” Sam cursed and turned his back on the group. “I have to rethink so many things now,” he mumbled.

Meanwhile Tony was trying to make sense of what had just happened. Bucky didn’t like him, at least not right now. Why would he tell his friends that he was courting Tony? It made absolutely no sense. Something was wrong or he had missed something.

“You seem confused?” Nat aimed at Tony.

Bucky waved his free arm in exasperation. “Well, it’s not like we had talked about it. I’ve been doing all of the proper courting, but Tony is oblivious.”

Tony squawked. “I am not.”

Bucky quirked an eyebrow at Tony. “Really?”

Tony scowled. “Listen, we have different cultures. Just because something seems obvious to you, doesn’t mean it is obvious to me!”

Bucky cocked his head, his gaze leaving Tony’s eyes and going toward Steve’s. Bucky nodded. Tony couldn’t see Steve’s initial reaction, but he did see Steve swim up to Nat and Sam and grab them by the elbows.

“We should let them talk,” Steve whispered and pulled his two friends out of the room without much resistance.

“I would think even for different cultures a lot of things would still be the same,” Bucky said.

“Are you kidding me?” Tony shouted. “I’d make a land and sea comparison, but I think that’s more than redundant!”

Bucky looked over his shoulder then smirked. “They’re gone.”

“Huh?” Tony said, anger temporarily gone.

Bucky grabbed Tony by the hand and dragged him out of the room. “Come on, I don’t know how long Steve can keep them away. There is no way Nat and Sam are going to let us visit Loki alone, so now is our chance to go.”

Tony blinked as realization dawned on him. “It was an act?” A pang of disappointment jabbed him in the chest.

Bucky squeezed his hand. “Nope. I did court you, I just don’t remember it.” Bucky looked over his shoulder as he pulled Tony along. “And I am sure you were oblivious to half of the stuff I did to court you.”

Tony flushed. “Again, that’s not my fault.”

Bucky chuckled and let go of Tony’s hand. He picked up his pace. “Come on, there’s an exit this way.”

“You better not be laughing at me,” Tony hollered after Bucky–the damn guy swam so fast.

“Now why would I do that?” Bucky teased.

Tony scowled. “Jerk. I swear when you get your memories back you’re going to be so in love me and disgusted with your lack of affection toward me that you will weep!”

Bucky chortled. “I’ll believe it when I remember it.”

“I’m the best thing to have happened to you.”

Bucky hummed in a humoring manner.

“I mean it!”


	14. Chapter 14

Tony stopped as a yellow sea slug crawled across the ocean floor. It wasn’t like a slug on land. Points of its body jutted out like a hedgehog, except not as prickly, or so it didn’t look. Tony was half tempted to touch the slug just to check if it’s texture matched its appearance.

“Tony,” Bucky chastised from ahead. “Do you want to get this mess fixed or not? Move it.”

Tony straightened. He nodded his head in determination and swam toward Bucky. He was still a slow swimmer, but he felt like he was getting better at it.

Also, some of his slowness might have had something to do with the marine life around him. He recognized some of the fish that swam past from his local aquarium’s exhibits, and even a few from the occasional article he’d read online.

He’d been excited when he spotted his first wolf-eel and lingcod and recognized them. A lot of the creatures he’d seen so far looked alike, so he wasn’t always positive whether he guessed what they were correctly. He remembered reading how the wolf-eel and lingcod tend to lurk near each other, but attack different prey, which was what helped him identify them.  

Tony paused when he spotted a school of fish swimming overhead. He squinted to get a better look. He didn’t get much of a chance to observe the fish though, when  Bucky appeared next to him and tugged on his wrist.

“Did you get caught in kelp? Let’s go.”

“Sorry, just… It’s really cool.”

Bucky wrinkled his nose and looked around. “It’s all the same to me.”

Tony huffed. “Well of course it is to you. You live here. If you went on land though, you’d react just like me the moment you saw something different.”

Bucky’s eyes scanned the ocean again. His lips pursed and his brow furrowed. “I guess you’re right.”

Tony nodded.

“Can we admire the scenery once I have my memories back though?” Bucky shifted in discomfort. “We may not have a deadline, but this isn’t fun for me. Knowing that I’m missing chunks of memories that is. Not…” Bucky gestured around them “…this.”

Guilt churned Tony’s stomach. “Sorry, I… didn’t forget, but I got distracted.”

“It’s okay.” Bucky let out a breath of bubbles. “We’re not that far now anyway.”

Bucky gently pulled on Tony’s wrist, guiding Tony through the water. “Once we talk to Loki, I’ll show you around. You’ll probably like it better that way too, since I’ll remember you then.”

Tony’s heart swelled with hope; he’d really like that. “All right.”

Bucky wasn’t lying when he said Loki’s home wasn’t much farther. They reached a cave in a rocky wall. Bucky stopped in front of it. He squeezed Tony’s hand. “He might be performing magic, so don’t panic if you see any green, glowy stuff.”

Tony nodded.

Bucky released Tony’s hand and swam toward the entrance.

Bucky didn’t even get over the threshold before he was knocked back by an invisible force.

“Bucky!” Tony cried as Bucky went somersaulting through the water.

Tony darted toward Bucky, grabbing Bucky’s hand and yanking Bucky upright. “Are you okay?”

Bucky shook his head to clear it. “What was that!”

Tony opened his mouth to speak when an unknown voice spoke.

“I said be silent, Thor!”

When Tony looked back at the cave entrance a merman with alabaster skin and a long, slender, green tail with large fins had appeared. He looked off to his side, though no one appeared to be there.

“Contrary to what you believe, I run a business and cannot rush off without things properly in place.”

Bucky’s eyes widened with shock. “I’m not imagining-” 

A booming caught off Bucky. “Time is of the utmost haste, brother! If I wish to win Lady Jane’s heart then–”

“Yes, yes.” The merman scowled and waved his hand off to the side, the appendage sweeping through the rocks of the cave.

“It’s an illusion,” Tony said aloud.

The merman turned to face Tony and Bucky. “As you are probably now aware thanks to Thor and his impatience, I have left my abode for the time being. This is your only warning, enter my home and you will be eviscerated. If there is something you want from me then you will just have to wait.” The man’s illusion smirked. “Enjoy your day, or not. I really don’t care.”

The illusion vanished.

Bucky cursed.

Tony’s heart shriveled and his chest ached.

Bucky’s tailed flapped in irritation. He swam back and forth. “This can’t be happening. It must be some sort of joke.”

Tony’s hand flew to his necklace. “The surface.”

Tony tilted his head back, looking where he believed the surface to be.

“What are you talking about?” Bucky asked.

Tony shook his head and forced down his negative feelings. There was still hope. “I just need to go to the surface and take off the necklace. It’s not ideal, but-”

“And what do you two think you’re doing here?” a deep voice demanded.

Tony whirled.

A merman with one eye clawed out and scars down the side of his face glowered at Tony and Bucky. Next to him he held Steve’s arm in a death grip, and Natasha and Sam were both floating behind him with their heads bowed. A pitch black tail with sharp fins made up the man’s lower half.

The man became more enraged at Bucky and Tony’s silence.

“You brats are coming home now.”


	15. Chapter 15

“You really expect me to believe that you troublemakers weren’t up to something?” Fury stared down his nose at the mer-teens, his frown hard as stone.

Bucky glanced shyly at Tony, who held his hands behind his back. He had his head raised high and his expression blank as he listened to Fury lecture Steve, Sam, Natasha, Bucky, and himself. He’d almost pull off looking brave if his hands didn’t tremble every time Fury looked at him too long.

“You didn’t even catch us doing something wrong!” Sam protested. He gestured to Natasha and himself. “We were just messing with Steve.”

Maria–an elder of the pod, who had been with Fury when he found the teens–snorted in disbelief. “From what I saw before Fury interrupted, it was more than just messing around.”

Sam flushed, looking worriedly at Steve.

Steve shrugged. “So we got a little rough.”

“A little?” Maria deadpanned.

Steve’s cheeks mirrored Sam’s with a pink flush.

Natasha huffed and looked away, her expression one of annoyance and exasperation.

“And let’s not forget you two,” Fury’s attention landed on Bucky and Tony.

Tony stiffened, but kept up his calm facade.

“What have we told all of you about disturbing Loki?”

“Thor does it all the time,” Bucky argued.

“Thor is his brother.”

“Yeah, and the one who annoys him the most.”

Fury eyeballed Bucky and Bucky smirked, not caring if he drew Fury’s ire.

“And you,” Fury turned on Tony. “Where do you come?” The question was laced with accusation.

Tony’s calm mask faltered for two seconds, and in that time Bucky was tempted to jump in front of Tony to steal back Fury’s attention, but he forced himself still.

“Around,” Tony answered.

“His pod sends him out on his own to educate himself,” Natasha reported.

“Really?” Fury reexamined Tony. His dubious tone spoke to what he thought about Natasha’s information.

Tony nodded. “My pod is small and not like most pods.”

“The females wear bras!” Sam supplied with a lot more enthusiasm than when he’d first learned what a bra was.

Steve nodded in agreement. “Completely different from us. Tony couldn’t even tell that Bucky was courting him.”

“Steve!” Bucky and Tony cried in unison.

“Courting?” Maria and Fury chimed together.

“Why would you court Tony when you have Steve?” Maria asked.

“How long have you been courting?” Fury demanded to know.

“Uh…” Bucky and Tony turned to each other.

Bucky didn’t know whether to curse Steve or not. At least Fury and Maria had stopped asking about Tony’s origins, but things were going to get more awkward.

“Bucky and I aren’t interested in each other!” Steve swished his tail in anger. His shoulders bunched up near his ears. “And all of you call me stubborn.”

“Well, obviously you two aren’t interested in each other,” Fury said.

Everyone looked surprised at Fury’s statement. Fury sent everyone annoyed yet curious glances. “What? They are old enough now that if they were interested in each other they would have shown much more aggressive courting by now.”

“Thank you!” Steve sighed in relief.

Fury folded his arms across his chest. “I’m still waiting for an answer to my question.”

“It’s…” Bucky flicked his gaze to Tony. “… been a while.”

“Specifically?”

“Maybe… two months?”

Fury’s was not amused. “And this is our first time meeting… Tony, was it?”

Tony nodded.

“He’s shy,” Bucky said.

“Not shy,” Tony grumbled.

Fury raised an eyebrow at Tony’s claim.

Tony looked away. “I can be charismatic when I want to, I just don’t want to be right now.”

“Uh-huh.” Fury nodded. “I’m sure.” Fury rubbed his head as if he had a headache then turned to Maria. “What do you want to do about them?”

Maria’s gaze was sharp as she took in the five mer-teens. She pointed at Steve, Sam, and Natasha. “You three get a warning. Watch it with the rough play. We don’t want anyone ending up with a broken arm or fin.” She turned her focus on Bucky and Tony. “As for you two… I think it’s best if you stay close to the pod for the next few days.”

Bucky groaned. “You mean stay where the rest of the elders can see us so we don’t go swimming off to Loki’s again.”

Tony frowned. His tail swished as he bit down on the inside of his cheek. “That’s nice, but you aren’t my pod.”

Maria and Fury straightened.

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Tony tacked on.

 _Crap_ , Bucky thought.

Fury loomed over Tony. “Is your pod nearby?” Fury demanded to know.

Tony blinked. “No.” He swam back a pace.

Fury followed. “Do you have any adult supervision of any kind at all?”

“I think I just answered that?” Tony kept swimming backward and Fury kept right on him.

“Do you intend to become Bucky’s mate?”

Tony stopped swimming away. Tony’s face turned as red as his tail. His eyes slid to Bucky. “If he wants me to be…”

“Then that means you will become a part of our pod, so you will listen to us until either your pod comes to get you or you leave to return to your pod. Do I make myself clear?”

“Are you always this intimidating or am I just lucky?” Tony asked.

Fury huffed. He turned and swam away to give Tony some space. “Follow us back to the pod or not, but I’ll be taking these four.” Fury gestured at the others.

Fury shot up through the water, pausing at a height quite a distance from the group. “Now all of you get moving before I decided you all need stronger punishments.”

Sam, Steve, and Natasha grumbled, but swam toward Fury. Maria cast a glance at Bucky and Tony then followed the three teens.

Tony hugged himself and scowled at nothing in particular.

Bucky didn’t like that look on Tony’s face, so when he swam up to human-turned-merman, Bucky cupped Tony’s cheek and used his thumb to massage the angry expression away.

The scowled morphed into a pout. Tony’s tail brushed shyly against Bucky’s, and against his better judgement, Bucky wrapped his tail around Tony’s.

Bucky rested his forehead against Tony’s and sucked in deep. “We’ll figure this out.”

Tony nodded. He sank lower in the water so their foreheads no longer touched and slipped his tail out from Bucky’s.

Tony followed the group, leaving Bucky behind.

The water felt a little colder just then.


	16. Chapter 16

“Did Fury adopt you?” One of the much younger mermaids asked Tony. She stared up at him with wide and curious eyes.

This was not the first time Tony been asked that question since he’d arrived at the pod’s nest. Originally the merkids had kept their distance at his arrival, which had been just fine with Tony. He’d never dealt with younger kids before, and he wasn’t so sure he knew how to interact with them. Plus, as loathe as he was to admit weaknesses, he was a nervous wreck. Fury had introduced him to a few other elders and then had basically sent him off to… Play? Eat? What did merfolk do all day?

For the kids the answer was play. They swam around screaming and hollering at each other as they chased each other about.

When they weren’t staring at Tony that was.

Of course, now that they had gotten used to seeing Tony, they were a lot braver and were asking him questions.

“Well?” The small mermaid asked.

“No one is adopting me.”

The girl cocked her head. “So are you someone’s mate?”

Tony blushed.

Suddenly Steve was there and laughing as he pulled the girl away from Tony. “Come on, you don’t want to talk to boring old Tony.”

“But why is he here?” she whined even as she allowed herself to pulled away from the source of her intrigue.

Soon three other merkids were surrounding them and clinging to Steve as they demanded Steve’s attention. Steve was all smiles as he invented a game for them right on the spot.

Tony sighed in relief.

He looked around and spotted Natasha holding some sort of crab and speaking to a cluster of kids who listened to her with rapt attention. Not far off, Sam and a few kids were messing around in a seaweed patch and enjoying themselves.

Tony noted that Sam would occasionally glance in his direction then at Steve.Tony couldn’t quite figure out why Sam was doing that, but he found he didn’t care enough to inquire about it. He was too busy sulking on his large rock.

Plus, he stomach had been growling for what felt like hours.

Tony startled when he felt something brush up behind him.

Bucky settled down behind Tony, his tail following the same trail as Tony’s but keeping a few inches of distance between them. Bucky twisted himself so his front faced Tony’s side. He handed Tony some kelp. “Here. You haven’t eaten since…” Bucky glanced meaningfully at Tony’s tail.

Tony nodded, taking the kelp from Bucky. His stomach growled, but bile rose to Tony’s throat. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the taste of his meal.

“We can ask about hunting down some anchovies later. For now, this will take the edge off.”

Anchovies… not Tony’s favorite fish, but he’d wouldn’t mind eating them.

“So you’re his mate?” A blond merboy suddenly appeared in front of Tony and Bucky.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business, squirt,” Bucky answered.

“Wade!” Sam hollered. He grabbed the boy by the shoulders and steered him away from Bucky and Tony. “Come on, leave the two alone. You know what they say about merfolk when they’re courting.”

Wade eyed Bucky. “I can take him.”

Bucky scoffed, not giving Wade a glance.

Wade scowled, but then one of the other kids Sam had been playing with called Wade’s name.

Wade beamed and jettisoned toward the other kid. “You called, Petey?”

Sam rolled his eyes, following his charge at a less than enthusiastic pace.

Tony nibbled on the kelp. He shuddered at the slimy texture and the taste of salted grass. He forced himself to continue nibbling though. “Sorry,” he said between tiny bites. “For making everyone think I’m your mate when I’m not.”

“It’s fine,” Bucky said. “I was the one who called you my mate in front of Sam and Nat in the first place.”

Silence fell between them. Awkward, horrible silence.

Tony wanted so badly to say something, but he didn’t know what. Bucky didn’t remember any of their past conversations, and this Bucky was so different from the one he knew. He didn’t want to offend Bucky on accident.

“I can sneak us to the surface tonight,” Bucky whispered in Tony’s ear.

Tony sighed, blowing bubbles unintentionally. “Thanks.”

Silence again.

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck. “Was it always this awkward between us?”

“No, I just… Don’t know what you’re okay with me talking about.”

“Anything is better than nothing.”

“I…” There was really only one thing Tony wanted to say, but he knew couldn’t say it. It would be unfair to Bucky.

Tony pulled up his tail and hugged it like he would hug his knees.

“Hey.” Bucky touched Tony’s shoulder. “Come on, tell me.”

Tony shook his head.

“I’m not going to get mad, Tony.”

Tony bit down on his bottom lip, but the words were too strong and he couldn’t keep them locked inside. “I miss you.” Tony hung his head in shame. “I miss my best friend. I need him right now, because I don’t no who else to talk to, but he’s not really here.”

Tony buried his face in his tail, unwilling to look at Bucky and see the potential hurt and anger in Bucky’s eyes.

“Sorry,” he whispered. “I know it’s not your fault.”

Another moment of silence and then the next thing Tony knew, Bucky wrapped his arms around Tony’s shoulders and pulled Tony in for a hug. “Jeez, you bring out my protective side. You’re like a baby seal crying out for its mom. I’m not going to lie and say I’m not frustrated. I’m trying, Tony. I’m trying to make sense of it all and not be an ass about your feelings as well, but…” Bucky cursed. “It’s not easy. I don’t know how to make things better other than getting you to the surface and taking off that necklace.”

Tony reached up and gripped one of Bucky’s arms. “I’m sorry.”

“You gotta stop saying that.” Bucky unwrapped his arms from Tony so he could grab Tony by the shoulders and have Tony face him. “Ever since last night you’re always apologizing and you barely put up a fight. You gotta have more bite to you than that.”

“But I don’t want to fight with you, especially when…” Tony shrugged.

“Say it,” Bucky coached.

“…when you don’t know me, and have no reason to stick around if you get mad.”

Bucky shook his head in disbelief at Tony. “I’m not going to abandon you just because we argue.”

Tony’s heart lurched. “But you did, Bucky.”

“No, I didn’t.”

That lurching feeling in Tony’s chest doubled. “You did. Right before all of this happened.” He gestured at himself and Bucky. “You gave me the necklace,” Tony toyed with the piece of jewelry, “and wanted me to put it on right away, but I got scared, so I didn’t.” Tony let go of the necklace. “You left.”

Bucky was stunned into silence.

Tony shrugged. “I really hurt your feelings.”

“I’m such a toadfish,” Bucky stated.

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. How can I say I love you and then swim off like that just because you got scared?”

“Because you didn’t think I loved you back,” Tony whispered.

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Then I was an idiot.”

Tony frowned.

Bucky nudged Tony. “What is it?”

“I want to defend you, but… I don’t know which version of you I should defend.”

Bucky paused then burst with chuckles. “Can’t really win or lose that one, can we?”

The tension within Tony released just a tad, and he was able to smile. A happy Bucky always relaxed him without even trying.


	17. Chapter 17

Tony preferred sleeping in the sunken ship, but Fury and the other elders had stopped Bucky, Steve, and him from going to the ship for the night. Even though Loki was gone for the time being, none of the elders wanted the younger merfolk near the merman’s domicile. Much as Steve and Bucky argued against being forced to change their resting place, eventually they had been forced to do as told and sleep in the caverns with the other merfolk.

Steve and Bucky had picked a small and out of the way section of the caverns to sleep in. The space was a tight squeeze that had the three of them huddled together, but Tony didn’t mind.

Natasha and Sam had followed Steve and Bucky to their corner of the cavern and continued to ask questions about Tony and his relationship with Bucky.

Natasha’s suspicious frown grew with each question and answer, whereas Sam’s eyes continued to dart toward Steve. Steve who had been seemingly oblivious to Sam’s staring, eventually noticed and cocked his head when their eyes met.

Sam flushed then never looked at Steve again after that.

Bucky snickered, and Tony took advantage of their closeness and pinched Bucky.

As it became later, Natasha and Sam finally left to rest somewhere on their own.

Tony’s eyelids were heavy and his head kept bobbing as he fought sleep. He wanted to ask Steve and Bucky how much longer they thought it would be until it would be safe enough for them sneak out of the caverns, but he didn’t want risk someone overhearing, so he kept quiet.

Steve and Bucky talked about that Wade kid from earlier and how he’d pulled a nasty prank on someone.

Tony yawned and leaned toward Steve. His head laid on Steve’s shoulder and he sighed happily.

Bucky scooted closer to Tony and poked his cheek. “You need to stay awake, Tony.”

Tony groaned.

Bucky huffed. He wrapped two arms around Tony and dragged Tony against him so Tony had his forehead on Bucky’s shoulder instead. “At least use me as your pillow. We’re supposed to be courting each other.”

“Someone sounds jealous,” Steve teased.

“Why would I be? Tony’s not really my…” Bucky trailed off, turning his head down so he looked at Tony. He swallowed hard then looked away. “Forget it.”

Insecurity prickled inside of Tony. Tony carefully lifted his head off of Bucky. “Maybe I should—”

Bucky snatched the back of Tony’s head and guided Tony back down to his shoulder. “It’s okay. It feels nice.”

Tony didn’t respond right away. If he was making Bucky uncomfortable he didn’t want to force himself on Bucky, but Bucky had said it was okay.

Tony closed his eyes and tried to relax. “Thanks.”

He felt Bucky nod above him then wrap an arm around Tony.

Steve and Bucky continued to talk.

“Do you know why Sam was staring at me?” Steve asked.

“Maybe he thinks you’re cute?” Bucky chuckled, the sound sending vibrations through his chest. His fingers toyed with Tony’s hair.

Steve slapped Bucky’s tail with his own. “Shut up.”

Bucky just chuckled more. “I know he thinks Natasha is cute.”

“Really?” Steve’s voice pitched. He cleared his throat. “I mean, she _is_ cute.”

“Uh-huh.” Bucky made a considering sound. He rested his chin on Tony’s head.

“Stop giving me that funny look.”

“I’m not giving you anything,” Bucky protested.

Steve disagreed then changed the subject back to the other members of their pod.

Tony had almost drifted to sleep when Bucky shifted and woke him. Tony grumbled and rubbed at his eyes as Bucky swam out of their alcove in the caverns and checked to make sure the rest of the pod was asleep.

Bucky came back and nodded.

As quietly as possible, the three teens swam through the caverns and toward the beach. Tony had no way of knowing which direction land was in, but he trusted Bucky and Steve to lead him. The journey to the beach was long, a lot longer than Tony remembered. His stomach twisted. His muscles curled in anticipation as his nerves thrummed with trepidation.

He told himself not to think negatively, but he was terrified that he’d remove the necklace and Bucky still wouldn’t remember him.

Tony knew they were close to land when the moonlight lit up the water like it was the sun itself. Every few seconds he had to bat away the kelp from the kelp forest that loved to cling to him. They swam between rocks as the sand rose higher and higher, until the trio finally broke to the surface, unable to travel farther comfortably.

Bucky’s hair was matted to his face, and with one hand he pushed it away, revealing a wide grin.

Tony’s heart ached as his first encounter with Bucky flashed in his mind.

“You ready to take off that necklace?” Steve asked.

Tony grabbed the star-shaped pendant and nodded.

He inched closer to the shore, the sand brushing along his tail.

Tony took a deep breath to brace himself.

He let go of the pendant and slid his fingers on under the chain to lift the necklace over his head.

He raised the necklace to his chin then stopped.

Tony’s eyes flew open.

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked while Bucky frowned.

Tony yanked on the chain, but it wouldn’t go any higher. “It won’t come off.”

Bucky and Steve startled.

Bucky zoomed over to Tony. “What do you mean it won’t come off?”

Tony kept tugging, panic stirring him into a frenzy. “That’s just it. It won’t come off!”

“Let me try.” Bucky’s fingers took the place of Tony’s, but Bucky couldn’t raise the necklace any higher than Tony had.

Bucky scowled. “It’s not working.”

Tony’s chest ached as realization cut through him like a sharp blade.

He couldn’t get the necklace off, which meant Bucky and him were stuck like this indefinitely.


	18. Chapter 18

Bucky and Steve’s voices were distant in Tony’s ears.

_“‘Love?’ You think you’re in love? You don’t even know what love is. If it weren’t for me, you’d throw everything away on a whim just because you think you’re in love.”_

Tony’s throat closed, cutting off his air. His heart threw itself at his his chest and clawed. His blood turned to ice.

He clutched at his neck and gasped, but no air came.

Hands touched his shoulders and back.

Bucky and Steve were shouting at him, but all he could hear was:

_“You’d throw everything away on a whim because you think you’re in love.”_

Howard was right. Oh god, Howard was right.

Hot tears pricked the corner of Tony’s eyes, and he dove into the water and curled into a ball. He clutched his face and screamed, a flurry of bubbles erupting around him.

“Tony! Tony!” Bucky pried Tony’s hands from his face. “Tony, calm down. You’re—”

“I’m such an idiot!” Tony yanked his hands away from Bucky and buried his face in his palms again. “Howard was right. I threw everything away.”

_“He’s a hormonal idiot set on sabotaging his future.”_

Tony curled up tighter.

“Tony,” Steve spoke gently. His fingers skimmed Tony’s shoulder.

Tony jerked away.

“No!” Tony ripped his hands from his face and scowled. “Don’t comfort me! I had a home, a family, and future, and I gave it all away because Howard pissed me off.”

Steve flinched at Tony’s sharp tone. He didn’t back down though. “You mean because you love Bucky.”

Tony choked on a sob. Had he? He… he had felt something for Bucky. Something strong. If he were honest with himself, though, was that why he’d finally put on the damn necklace?

The truth was a boulder in his gut.

He’d wanted to prove Howard wrong—prove that what he felt for Bucky was love and that they were…

“Oh god, I fell for all of that fairy tale crap.” Tony shook his head in disbelief. “I actually _believed_ in true love, and was even more stupid to think that I’d actually found it. I’m a fucking moron.”

“Tony,” Steve started then looked to Bucky. “Bucky…” Steve’s expression was one of frustration and desperate pleading.

 _Bucky_.

Tony flinched as realization slammed into him and he remembered that Bucky was floating next to him. Fear wrapped around Tony, cooling Tony’s rage with its icy touch. Hesitantly, he glanced at Bucky from the corner of his eyes.

Bucky wouldn’t look at him, and his fists were clenched at his side.

Tony bowed his head.

_So this is the end._

Tony choked on the thought, the reality of everything fully hitting him. He’d thought he’d lost everything, but he’d still had Bucky—even if he was just a shade of the boy Tony had… _cared_ for. Now he really was going to lose Bucky. How could Bucky want anything to do with Tony after what he had said?

Tony startled as Bucky sat himself in the sand next to Tony.

Bucky wrapped his tail around himself and crossed his arms over his chest, hunching over himself.

Tony glanced at Bucky, and Bucky glanced at him right then.

“I promised I wouldn’t abandon you.” Bucky growled and pushed himself down deeper into the sand. “You fucking cuttlefish.”

Tony blinked. “Cuttlefish? Aren’t they…cute?”

“Not when it comes to their mating habits,” Bucky snapped.

Tony winced, but after everything he had said, he supposed he could take the insult.

Bucky inhaled sharply. “I hate this,” he sounded like he was going to cry. “You know, it’s fucking terrifying knowing Loki did something to my brain and messed around with my memories. Steve being protective of you, and being a jerk of a friend to me was a pain too.”

Steve was shocked. “Bucky.” Steve tried to touch his friend, but Bucky held up his hand, signaling Steve not to. Steve withdrew his hand, but the look of remorse on his face did not fade. “I’m sorry, Bucky, I hadn’t realized. I was just-”

“I know, Steve,” Bucky interrupted. Bucky turned on Tony, glaring. “What I am trying to say is that even though all of that sucked, once I got over the surprise of having fallen in love with a lander and all of that crap, I was actually excited to think that someone had loved me enough to sacrifice so much for me.” Bucky shrugged. “Well, now it’s just a load of crap according to you.”

Tony scowled. “That’s not fair. I—”

“None of this is fair,” Bucky snapped. “But at least we had each other.”

“We still do,” Tony insisted without thinking, even though just moments before he’d been certain that everything was over between them.

“Do we? Because according to you, I’m nothing.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Tony shouted.

“You two,” Steve tried to put himself between Bucky and Tony, but Tony and Bucky batted him away. “Maybe we should all take some time to calm down, and—”

“Shut up!” Bucky and Tony said in unison.

“I care about you!” Tony slammed his tail on the ground. “Even when you forgot all about me, all I’ve done is care about you. I want to be with you.”

“And what happened to ‘ _love_ ’?”

Tony clenched his jaw. “I don’t know,” he finally spat out. “I thought I loved you, but Howard—”

“I don’t give a fuck what Howard said.”

“He predicted everything.”

“He predicted you’d become merfolk?”

“No!” Tony gesticulated. “But he said I was an idiot and that I’d throw away everything just because I thought I was in love, and I _did,_ Bucky. I thought I was in love and now I’ll never see my mom again or go to school. All of the things I wanted to do are out of reach now, and it’s all because I let myself believe that I was in love with you.”

“So why do you think you aren’t in love with me any more?”

Tony didn’t have an answer. At least not one that would placate Bucky.

Bucky huffed. He shook his head and turned away from Tony.

“Howard was right about everything else,” Tony whispered.

“Howard sounds like an toadfish.”

“He’s my dad.”

It was Bucky’s turn to be quiet.

“My feelings for you haven’t changed,” Tony said. “I-I just don’t know if it’s love any more.”

Bucky was still quiet.

Tony felt nervous again as he waited for Bucky’s response. Even Steve appeared concerned about Bucky’s looming reaction.

“Okay.” Bucky sucked in a mouthful of water and exhaled it out. “Okay.” He rubbed his neck. “I’m just no good at this.”

Tony’s heart ached. “Sorry.”

Bucky whirled. “How many times do I have to tell you not to apologize?”

Tony blinked in surprise.

“Listen.” Bucky ran his hand through his hair, irritation and frustration in the movement. “The way I see it is this: we’re riding the same current now. You’re confused about how you feel about me, and I’m confused about how I feel about you. Fuck, I’m just confused about everything. … and scared, and I think you are too.”

Tony begrudgingly nodded.

“We need to find Loki,” Bucky stated. “It’s as simple as that.”

“But what if he doesn’t help us because we don’t… you know.” _Love each other_ , Tony couldn’t say.

“Then we make him help us.”

“That’s all fine and good,” Steve interrupted, “but we have no idea where he went or how long he will be gone. He could come back tomorrow or in a month. We’re going to have to figure out a plan.”

“We?” Bucky asked.

Steve smiled. “I’m not letting you two abandon me.”

“If we can figure out what it was he went off to find, maybe we could figure out where he went,” Tony said.

Steve smile grew and he nodded enthusiastically. “Good. We already have a step one. We’ll go back to the pod for now, and tomorrow we’ll snoop around until we find something that can lead us to Loki.”

“It’s better than moping,” Bucky said.

Tony nodded, uncurling himself. He still felt like the world’s biggest idiot, but he also knew nothing was going to get better by him sitting near the shore and crying. Tony rubbed at his eyes and squared his shoulders.

It might take a while, but he was going to fix this.


	19. Chapter 19

Steve, Bucky, and Tony made it back to the pod undetected with just a enough time to get a few hours of sleep before one of the merkids (Gwen, Tony thought was the girl’s name) came into the cavern and started bouncing off the walls to get the three of them to wake up. What followed was a bunch of questions aimed at Tony and demands for the three teens to go anchovy hunting with her and Peter (Wade’s “Petey” from what Tony had gathered). Bucky and Steve tried to persuade her to ask someone else from the pod to go with her and Peter, but Gwen was stubborn, and soon the two caved into her demands.

That was how Tony found himself struggling to capture anchovies for breakfast while a bunch of kids giggled and pretended not to watch him flounder.

Tony chased after the tiny fish, mouth open like he saw a lot of the kids do. He snapped his jaw shut once he thought he had one in his mouth.  
  
All Tony had was water.  
  
There was a round of snickers.

Steve and Bucky glanced his way, both looking sympathetically uncomfortable for him. Steve and Bucky looked at each other then nodded. They swam into the school of anchovies, their movements becoming blurs amongst the shimmering fish.

“You’re weird,” a kid said from behind Tony.

Tony whirled around.

It was the Wade kid.

Wade grinned, showing off a missing tooth. The kid was covered in scrapes. Some cuts looked weeks old while others look like they’d occurred just yesterday.

“And you’re a brat,” Tony said.

Wade laughed and swam circles around Tony. “At least I can catch anchovies.”

Tony crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his nose up. “Well, maybe I’m a vegetarian.”

Wade paused and cocked his head. “What’s that?”

“Wade,” a small merboy with a red and blue tail whined. His cheeks were puffed up in a pout and his short brown hair swayed as he swam toward Wade. “You know you’re not supposed to bother, Tony.”

Wade rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Just because Bucky is a possessive mate don’t mean I gotta listen to him.”

Wade punched Tony in the shoulder. “You want me to fight him for you? This ‘leave my mate alone’ crap isn’t cute.”

“Wade!” The other boy chastised. “It’s because we keep asking Tony questions that make him uncomfortable. You know that.”

Wade scoffed. “And why do they make him uncomfortable?” The scraped kid hit Tony with a belittling look that rankled Tony. “Not like you’re pod is made up of cannibals, right?”

“Wade!”

“Petey!” Wade mimicked the plaintive sound of Peter’s voice.

Peter scowled and poked Wade in the chest. “This is why Steve and Bucky were very clear about you leaving Tony alone.”

“So I’m being singled out?” Wade cried out in umbrage.

“Mostly,” Peter stated bluntly. “Everyone else was asked just to be patient and not talking to him all at once.”

Wade covered his chest with his palm. “I’m hurt.”

Peter rolled his eyes.

Tony’s stomach growled. Loudly.

Peter and Wade startled at the sound.

Tony sighed. “So any recommendations for where I should get my kelp?”

Peter glanced behind Tony and swam a few strokes backward. He grabbed Wade by the elbow, pulling Wade along with him. “I think Bucky is taking care of your food problem.” Peter pointed behind Tony.

Tony turned around to see Bucky approaching, his cheeks slightly puffed and his lips pursed.

Bucky stopped in front of Tony and cupped Tony’s face.

Tony blinked, surprised by the action. Bucky drew his thumb across Tony’s bottom lip.

Tony’s nerves sparked to life. His brain screamed that Bucky wanted a kiss, but something in his gut told him that Bucky couldn’t want that. Certainly not after last night.

Bucky lowered his head, mouth inches from Tony.

His eyes met Tony’s with a silent question.

Tony swallowed in anticipation and nodded.

Bucky pressed his lips to Tony’s. He didn’t waste time encouraging Tony to open his mouth, even going so far as to use his hold on Tony’s face to do so. In seconds, Tony knew why.

Three anchovies drifted from Bucky’s mouth into his own.

Tony made a sound and tensed instinctively at the unfamiliar sensation of fish swimming in his mouth. Bucky didn’t let him jerk away. He held Tony in place until Tony’s second row of teeth descended. He guided Tony to close his mouth to keep the fish in then pulled away.

Tony chewed, his mouth filling with blood and tiny bones that he almost spat out.

He’d seen no else spit out the fish’s bones though, so he assumed it was safe to swallow. Tony did so, and made a face. He wasn’t wild about the copper taste in his mouth, but the three anchovies were more filling than kelp.

His secondary teeth receded. Tony prodded at his gums where they’d been a moment before.

“Steve has some anchovies for you too,” Bucky said. “If you’re comfortable with him feeding them to you.”

“I can kiss Steve?” Tony gaped.

Bucky rolled his eyes and took a playful swat at Tony’s arm. “Don’t sound so excited or you’ll make me jealous.”

“I’m not excited.” Tony felt heat rising to his cheeks. “I’m just surprised. Also, it’s not like I’ve kissed anyone but you. Unless you want to count a girl I kissed when I was five.” Tony rolled his eyes. “Lips barely touched.”

“That counts,” Wade said.

Peter flushed. “No it doesn’t.”

Wade pouted at Peter.

Bucky shook his head at the kids and waved Steve over.

Steve approached his cheeks puffed out like Bucky’s had been. He gave Bucky and Tony a few curious glances.

Tony mentally told himself to not be embarrassed and nodded at Steve to kiss him the same time Bucky gave his own nod of approval.

Steve’s eye twinkled in amusement as he leaned in and cupped Tony’s face.

The touch wasn’t nearly as intimate as when Bucky grabbed his face, and Tony briefly wondered how that was possible. Steve’s hands were placed exactly where Bucky’s had been. Steve wasn’t touching Tony’s lip with his thumb like Bucky had, but such a small gesture couldn’t make such a huge difference. Could it?

Steve pressed his lips to Tony’s and held the kiss for a second then frowned.

Tony realized Steve was waiting for Tony to open his mouth, and Tony did so.

Steve opened his mouth too and pulled away once the anchovies had slipped into Tony’s and Tony had sealed his mouth shut. 

Steve smiled as he pulled away.

Tony chewed on the fish and swallowed them. He couldn’t stop frowning. Steve’s kiss hadn’t been clinical, but it hadn’t made Tony’s stomach somersault or his heart race.

Tony turned to Bucky, but Bucky had already swam off to chase after more anchovies.

“He’ll be back.” Steve patted Tony on the back. “He’s going to get you a few more anchovies. Do you think you’ll need any more after that? I can always get you another mouthful.”

Tony shook his head. “No.” Tony had a joke about Sam on the tip of his tongue, but he held it back. Whatever was going on between Steve and Sam (and maybe Natasha–-Steve had called her cute) seemed pretty new and he didn’t want to accidentally sabotage any potential relationship with his teasing. “Thanks though.”

“Steve,” a the redhead mermaid (Mary Jane, Tony thought was her name) shouted. “Gwen and Harry are fighting again.”

“We’re not!” The two aforementioned children shouted as they wrestled through the water.

Steve looked skyward in a suffering manner. “Every time.” 

Steve offered Tony a smile even as he swam backward toward the kids. “Sorry. Let me handle this.” Steve flipped in the water and zoomed straight for the kids. “You two!”

Gwen and Harry burst apart immediately.

“Petey!” Wade’s voice stole Tony’s attention.

Wade clung to Peter, nuzzling the other boy’s neck. “Stop staring at Mary Jane and stare at me.” He stopped nuzzling long enough to look Peter in the eye and say seriously, “I won’t think you’re a nervous weirdo if you stare at me.”

Peter turned a deadpan stare on Wade.

Wade cheered and hugged Peter tighter.

“Do merfolk just spend their days hitting on each other?” Tony asked. It wasn’t like they had jobs to occupy their time, so he wouldn’t be surprised if courting was half done just to stave off boredom.

Peter and Wade both frowned at him.

“‘Merfolk?’” Peter repeated.

Tony internally winced at his slip in word choice. “I mean, does your pod do that? Mine is made up of my parents and occasionally a few other elders, so flirting isn’t really a common thing for me.”

Wade eyed Tony with suspicion. “You’re really strange. You can’t catch anchovies, you’re a slow swimmer and not at all graceful, and you also ask stupid and weird questions.”

“Your questions are stupid,” Tony countered childishly. He was talking to children, so he figured a downgrade to his usual comebacks was acceptable in this case.

Wade frowned at Peter. “Do you think my questions are stupid?”

Peter didn’t answer, instead more focused on prying Wade off him. 

“Petey?”

“I think they’re rude. That’s why even Thor acts weary whenever you go near Jane.”

Tony’s interest piqued. He hadn’t consider pumping the kids of the pod for information about Loki and where he could have possibly gone, but now that Tony was thinking about it, he realized just what a good idea it was. The elders of the pod would be suspicious of Bucky, Steve, and him asking about Loki or Thor, but the kids wouldn’t suspect a thing. The only problem was that they’d probably mention to the elders what Tony had been inquiring about, but he could deal with that issue when it came up.

“Bucky’s mentioned Thor a few times. Loki’s brother right?” Tony asked.

Wade and Peter nodded.

“Not that you would know looking at them,” Wade said. “There like Moon Jellies and Eels.” Wade frowned. “Although, Thor probably gets the same dopey face eels have occasionally.” Wade made his eyes go wide, jutted out his jaw, and dropped his bottom lip to mimic an eel.

“Thor’s super nice,” Peter hurriedly added with a smile. “He’s the best. He let’s all of us kids grab onto him like barnacles and then swims around really fast.”

“So the complete opposite of Loki,” Tony stated. “So then why have they run off together?”

Peter and Wade rolled their eyes and said together. “Lady Jane.”

“Who?”

“Thor’s mate,” Wade said.

“Potential mate,” Peter corrected. “Jane is part of a migrating pod. Her pod joins ours for the winter then returns to their home in spring. Thor has been courting her for years, but she’s…” Peter played with his fingertips as he bent his head and mumbled something.

“Coo-coo,” Wade stated.

“She isn’t,” Peter protested. “She just… she really likes the stars, so she spends a lot of time above the surface.”

“And studying landers,” Wade added.

“There’s nothing wrong with studying landers,” Peter said.

“They’re interesting, and she says that landers have tools for studying the stars.”

“Fascinating, but what does Jane’s interest in Astronomy have to do with Thor running off with Loki?” Tony asked.

“Astro-what?” Wade asked.

Peter shrugged. “Not sure exactly, but Thor swore he was going to give her something really big so that she’ll finally have to take his courting seriously. He said it had something to do with the stars and landers, but that’s all we know.”

Tony mulled over the information. Whatever Thor had planned was vague and intriguing. It could be just about anything, but Tony’s instincts kept pushing for something that would allow Jane to walk on land so she could see the “lander’s tools” for herself. That was probably just wishful thinking though.

How convenient would it be if Loki and Thor’s were searching for the ingredients to a potion that would allow a merman or mermaid to walk on land?

Tony felt someone tap on his shoulder and turned to see Bucky had returned.

Tony’s heart jumped and his pulse raced in excitement. Time for another kiss.

Heat spread through Tony’s body, and he found himself leaning into Bucky without thinking.

He choked down a happy sound as Bucky used one hand to bring their mouths together and the other to squeeze Tony’s forearm. Where Bucky touched, Tony’s temperature spiked even higher than his already warming flesh.

Tony would never have thought swapping anchovies would be romantic, but apparently his body thought differently.

Then again, if it was his body responding maybe it was more of a kink than romance?

Tony frowned as they parted and he ate his meal; however, his displeasure wasn’t due to their separation. He was confused. He understood the science behind the rush of hormones that were affecting his brain, but it just didn’t translate into practice. Theoretically, his reaction to Steve should have been the same as the one he’d had to Bucky.

He didn’t think his oxytocin levels were high enough to have caused him to imprint onto Bucky so quickly or strongly; however, there was the question of–

Bucky flicked Tony on the forehead.

“Ow!” Tony covered the abused spot. “What was that for?”

“You looked constipated,” Bucky answered, causing Wade to bust a gut laughing.

“How does flicking my forehead help with constipation?”

“It doesn’t. It just made you stop looking like we need to find you a private spot to take a dump.”

“Jerk.” Tony floated up a few inches and reached out to ruffle Bucky’s hair.

Bucky snagged Tony’s hands by the wrists and yanked Tony forward with enough force to flip them through the water. “Baby.”

“I’ll show you who’s a baby.” Tony whacked Bucky with his tail as he wrestled with Bucky to get his hands back in that mop of hair.

Wade sighed wistfully. “Now that’s my kind of romance.”

“Steve!” Mary Jane shouted. “Bucky and Tony are fighting.”

“We are not!” Bucky and Tony shouted in unison.

“You two!” Steve hollered as he barreled toward them. “Be role models.”

Bucky snickered, letting go of Tony’s wrist to tickle Tony’s side. “Never.”

Tony freed his other hand from Bucky and launched himself at Bucky. He wrapped his arms around Bucky’s head, pushing Bucky’s face into his chest as he ruffled Bucky’s hair mercilessly. “Victory!”

Bucky hummed contentedly, arms wrapped around Tony’s waist. “Yup, victory. Got a great view.”

Tony halted his actions. “Are you ogling my chest?”

“Yes.”

Tony considered this information.

He shrugged and went back to messing with Bucky’s hair, even as blood filled his cheeks. “I still win.”

“I think we both win.” Bucky sniggered.


	20. Chapter 20

“I think Thor is making Loki get him a star,” Gwen said as she braided the short strands of Tony’s hair.

Tony winced as the young mermaid tugged a little too hard.

“No way,” Mary Jane retorted. She was on the other side of Tony’s head and trying to braid his hair too. “Not even Loki could get a star.”

“What about a starfish?” Gwen asked.

“A starfish and a star aren’t the same thing.” Mary Jane huffed and let go Tony’s hair. “Your hair sucks.”

“That’s your opinion,” Tony said, thankful to have one mermaid literally out of his hair.

The things he did to get information.

“At least I’m trying to figure out what Thor and Loki could be after.” Gwen gave up on braiding Tony’s hair. Her hands went to her hips. “Do you have any suggestions?”

Mary Jane’s cheeks pinked. “Not yet, but I’ll think of something.”

Gwen didn’t look like she believed Mary Jane. “Maybe we should just go to Loki’s place and look around?”

“No can do,” Tony said. “He’s got a barrier up.”

“Well, maybe there is something outside his house,” Gwen argued. “Yeah,” she cheered, as if registering what she had just said. “Yeah, that’s perfect. Let’s go!” Gwen grabbed Tony’s arm and tried to drag him through the water.

Before Tony could protest, Mary Jane had grabbed him by the other arm and the two mermaids were hauling him through the water, garnering laughter from the adults and children nearby.

At least no one was acting like they suspected him of pumping the children for information.

Before the kids and Tony could get away from the pod though, Fury appeared seemingly out of nowhere and blocked their path. He floated just high enough so he towered over them. He crossed his arms and peered down at the trio. “And where are you three off to?”

“Nowhere,” Mary Jane answered.

“Really? Cause it looks like you were headed somewhere.”

Gwen shook her head. “Must have been mistaken.”

Fury glared.

The two girls remained outwardly unaffected.

Fury pinned his glare on Tony.

Tony stiffened, but kept his expression nonchalant. “Something wrong about going for a swim?”

Fury jabbed his finger at Tony’s chest. “I got my eye on you.”

“That’s gotta be boring. I mean, you only have one eye, so if you’re using it only to look at me—” Tony faked a shudder. “Then again, maybe it’s less boring and more creepy.” Tony covered his chest. “I have an intended, you know.”

Fury was unimpressed by Tony’s rambling. He pointed at Tony then at the pod. “Back.”

Tony rolled his eyes, but began swimming backwards toward the pod. “All right, all right. No need to bite my head off. Damn, you’re really sensitive, aren’t you?”

Mary Jane and Gwen giggled.

Fury just glowered, silently commanding Tony to continue moving backwards.

Tony did so, eventually turning his back on Fury and swimming to a patch of coral and rocks where he settled himself outside of Fury’s view.

He hugged himself and shuddered.

Gwen and Mary Jane giggled as they swam overhead.

“I don’t know how you two find that funny.” Tony hugged himself tighter. “He’s almost as intimidating as Howard.”

“Fury acts mean, but he’s squishy,” Gwen answered.

“Could have fooled me,” Tony said.

Mary Jane snapped her fingers. “What if Thor is getting Jane one of those lander things for stars?”

Gwen did a double flip. “That’s probably it!”

Tony sighed. He made a mental note of Mary Jane’s suggestion. It wasn’t a bad one, but he had his doubts about it.

The rest of his day continued in a similar manner. Tony took advantage of the children’s curiosity to get to know him in order to ask them about Thor and Loki. He learned quite a bit about the brothers. The two had deep rivalry, yet a lot of love—or at least Thor did. The kids couldn’t agree on whether Loki loved Thor or not.

He also learned more about Jane, but as to what Thor and Loki had gone to search for, Tony had learned nothing. All he had were theories.

When Steve, Bucky, and Tony regrouped, Tony hoped that Bucky and Steve had done better than him, but just based on their deflated appearances, Tony knew they hadn’t found out anything either.

“Everyone knows Thor took off with Loki because of Jane, but for once Thor managed to keep his big mouth shut.” Bucky massaged his temples in aggravation.

Steve frowned at Bucky’s word choice, but soon sighed and sagged down to the ocean floor. “He’s right. I think the only person who might know is Odin, and he’ll know what we’re trying to do in an instant.”

Tony scrunched his face as he recalled who Odin was. “Old guy with a white beard, right? Also missing an eye? Tends to hang out with Fury?”

Bucky and Steve nodded.

Tony sighed. “Yeah, anyone who hangs out with Fury that much probably isn’t someone we want to talk to.”

Silence fell between the trio.

Bucky knocked his head back against the rocky walls of their secluded spot.

Steve hugged his tail to his chest, resting his chin on it. “We should have asked Nat for help. She’s really good at figuring out people’s secrets.”

“We still could,” Bucky said.

Tony picked at the algae growing on the rocks. “I’m just worried she’s catching on to our secret.”

“I doubt she has any clue,” Bucky said. “She might know we’re hiding something, but… “ Bucky swiveled his head, searching for any eavesdroppers. “…you being a lander is one of the last things she would guess.”

Tony nodded. He was still nervous about Natasha finding out the truth, but Bucky had a point. It wasn’t like landers turned into merfolk everyday; the possibility was probably the furthest from Natasha’s mind.

“Okay, so we’ll ask Natasha for help, then see what we can do from there.”

Bucky made a face.

Steve noticed. “What is it?”

Bucky sighed, peeling himself off the rock wall. He shrugged and shook his head. “I hate to be the one to say this, but even if Natasha tells us what Thor and Loki are looking for, we may just have to wait for them to come back.”

Tony opened his mouth to protest, but Bucky cut him off.

“I know. I don’t like the idea of waiting either, but we know now that Thor wants to give Jane something as a courting gift. Jane’s pod should be arriving in a few weeks, so Thor should be back by then with his gift.”

“Thor did say something about not having a lot of time in that illusion of Loki’s,” Tony admitted. He shifted uncomfortably. His body thrummed with impatience and worry. He wanted to be human again. Sure, in the long run a few weeks of waiting were nothing compared to a lifetime, except Tony didn’t even know if Loki would undo the spell he’d put on the necklace. Maybe Tony really was stuck as a merman forever?

Tony wanted to know _now_ if Loki was going to turn him back into a human or not.

Nonetheless, that rational voice in the back of Tony’s head pointed out one important thing: other than eliminating some of his angst and worry about it; what would meeting Loki sooner instead of later accomplish? Especially when he considered the potential dangers in the ocean along the way to finding Loki. So far Tony hadn’t run into danger, but that was most likely due to the fact that he had stayed near Bucky and Steve’s pod. Once he ventured away from the pod, danger was sure to crop up.

It was as Tony turned these thoughts over in his head that he noticed that Bucky and Steve had gone quiet. Bucky’s face was pensive and lined with wrinkles caused from thinking too hard. Steve was staring at the ground, his lips in a downward arc.

As if sensing Tony’s gaze, Steve looked up and caught Tony staring. “It’s not really my place to say anything.”

Tony looked at Bucky.

Bucky rubbed the back of his head, looking very displeased. “I want my memories back.” Bucky dropped his hand and drooped. “I want this drama to end, and for everyone to go back to being happy.”

Tony nodded. What he would give for everyone to go back to being happy.

“I’m just not too sure that going after Loki right now is the best option.” Bucky scowled. He lightly smacked the rock wall behind him. “I want this fixed now, but even if Nat finds out what Loki and Thor are after, and from there we can guess where the two went we could run into trouble or end up passing them by on accident. It could take us even longer to fix this if that happens.”

“The risk doesn’t really outweigh the benefits, does it?” Tony asked.

Bucky shook his head. “It doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go after Loki.” Bucky straightened, pushing his shoulders back and raising his head high. “I may have lost my memories, but I still have most of them. As well as my pod.” Bucky bowed his head as if in shame. “You were right last night. You gave up practically everything, so if you rather not wait the month, then we’ll go after Loki.”

A boulder of doubt and guilt settled in Tony’s stomach. “I didn’t say that because I wanted you to feel like your problems are less than mine.”

Bucky shook his head. “And that’s not what I’m trying to say either. I have a support system, and you don’t. Not really anyway. Sure you have me and Steve, but that’s different.”

“Yeah, but it’s not like you’ve told anyone that you can’t remember me.”

“And maybe that just proves my point. I can continue my life like it had been before all of this.” Bucky gestured between them. “You can’t though.” Bucky lowered his hand. “It’s like I said. You get the final say on Loki. Do we go after him or not?”

Tony swallowed, the guilt thick in his throat. He felt like he’d made a terrible mistake. He understood why Bucky was saying what he was saying, but Tony didn’t like it. Maybe Tony’s actions and words weren’t the cause behind Bucky’s decision to let Tony have the final say on Loki; however, it felt like it.

Tony shook his head. Now was not the time for feeling guilty. He could feel guilty later. Right now he had a decision to make.

And after everything Bucky had said, and Tony’s own thoughts on the situation, there was one obvious yet bitter answer.


	21. Chapter 21

Tony was depressed and didn’t know what to do with himself. He lay on the cavern floor where he had woken that morning curled up between Steve and Bucky. Their presence had been comforting and had encouraged him to give in to the voice in his head that told him not to move and just rest for the day. He knew he should get up and move around, but their warmth had tempted him, and once Tony gave into temptation, he couldn’t stop himself. Even when Steve and Bucky left to get breakfast he stayed curled up on the floor.

It was easier that way. He didn’t have to face the day, or face the fact that he was stuck as a merman until Loki and Thor returned. As long as he slept he didn’t have to think about all the ways he’d messed up recently or what he was missing out on from his former life.

“You should eat, Tony.” Steve nudged Tony. “If you eat you’ll feel better.”

Tony screwed his eyes shut tighter and slapped Steve away with his tail. “Too tired.”

“But you won’t feel tired once you eat,” Steve persisted.

Tony grumbled. He hugged himself and burrowed into the ground. He missed Steve and Bucky’s warmth. He wished the two of them would just go back to sleeping with him. Everything would be so much better that way.

“Tony,” Steve whined.

Tony didn’t answer.

The water above Tony stirred and a shadow hovered over Tony.

“Do you mind giving us a moment, Steve?” Bucky asked. There was uncertainty to his voice.

Tony didn’t hear a response from Steve, but he did feel Steve move away from him. A few seconds of silence passed before Bucky settled down next to Tony on the cavern floor. Strong arms wrapped around Tony and pulled him close to Bucky’s chest.

Tony sighed as Bucky’s warmth seeped into him.

Tony wrapped his tail around Bucky’s, and was pleased when Bucky’s twined around his in response.

Bucky rubbed Tony’s back. “I don’t know what to do.”

Tony tucked his head under Bucky’s chin. “It’s okay. I like this.”

“But you’re not happy.”

Tony traced circles on Bucky’s rib cage. He felt disconnected and broken in a way that even with all his genius he couldn’t piece himself together back quite correctly. Bucky was right; Tony wasn’t happy. “I’m not as sad as I was before.”

Bucky sighed. His fin brushed along Tony’s, sending sparks up Tony’s spine.

Tony inhaled sharply.

Bucky startled and looked down at their tails. Pink dusted his cheeks. He let out a nervous chuckle. “Sorry, that was a little more intimate than I intended.” Bucky tried to unwrap his tail from Tony’s, but Tony put a hand on Bucky’s hip to still him.

Heat rose to Tony’s cheeks. He didn’t let himself shy away and duck his head though as he asked: “Is this considered foreplay?”

“Not quite,” Bucky answered hesitantly. “As I said, it’s very intimate.” Bucky cleared his throat. “I can tell you more about merfolk biology if you’d like.”

Tony hummed in thought and went back to tracing circles along Bucky’s skin.

“I’d like to know, but I…” Tony stopped drawing and huffed. He slumped against Bucky. “I just don’t want to do anything. Everything feels so heavy, and it’s not like anything I do matters now.” Tony sighed. “I wish I could make robots. That always made me feel better.”

“I’m confused.” Bucky’s brow pinched. “I thought you said you didn’t want to do anything, but you say you want to make robots. What even are robots?”

Tony knew Bucky didn’t mean to do it, but Bucky’s question sucker punched Tony in the stomach twofold. The question just emphasized how different Tony’s new life was/would be, and it reminded Tony that Bucky didn’t remember their summer together. Tony had not only explained in detail to Bucky what robots are, but he’d also brought a robot dog he’d built for Bucky to see during one of their late night visits.

The fact that Bucky couldn’t remember…

Tony felt hollow.

Bucky made a panicked noise and hugged Tony tighter. He touched Tony’s cheek and brought their foreheads together. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure what I said that upset you, but I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Tony mumbled.

“No, it’s not. I can tell I hurt you. I…” Bucky bit his bottom lip, looking torn between frustration and sorrow. After a few seconds of his internal war, Bucky slouched, looking utterly defeated in the process. He pressed a kiss to Tony’s forehead. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to make you sad.”

“It’s not your fault,” Tony said quietly. “Neither of us knew…” Tony didn’t know how to finish that sentence. Neither of them had known what the necklace would do, but Bucky had known about Loki and his mischief and had still accepted the necklace, and Tony had even considered the risks of wearing the necklace but still put on the necklace anyway. They had both been ignorant, but they hadn’t been completely unaware of the risk either.

Tony hugged Bucky. “Can you just stay here with me for a little longer? I’ll get up eventually, but I… I just really need some time to accept everything.”

“Whatever you want,” Bucky answered.

Tony sighed in relief. He closed his eyes and rested his head on Bucky’s shoulder. “You can tell me about merfolk biology if you get bored lying here with me. I promise I’ll listen.”

Bucky nodded. His hands began running up and down Tony’s back again in a soothing manner. “Just relax for now. We’ll get up when you’re ready.”


	22. Chapter 22

Tony’s limbs were still heavy with a lack of motivation, but he no longer could stand to be hidden in some cavern tucked away at the bottom of the ocean. His mind was running wild and supplying him with anxiety inducing thought after thought. He needed a distraction.

“This way,” Bucky rolled onto his back and tugged Tony through the water, their hands connected. “I got an idea.”

“Tony!” A streak of blond zoomed between Tony and Bucky.

Bucky and Tony were yanked apart as Wade swam circles between them. “Tony! Tony! Tony! Where have you been? Were you and Bucky making babies? Can one of them be named after me? Can I have one of them? Will your babies be as terrible at swimming as you?”

“Wade,” Bucky chastised. “Tony and I were not making babies.”

“But you’re going to, right?”

Bucky grumbled and ran his hand through his hair. “Where’s Peter? Someone needs to be here to mellow you out.”

“You think Peter mellows him out?” Tony asked, a thread of amusement weaving its way around Tony’s heart and perking him up a tad.

Bucky cocked his head to the side. His eyes flicked to Wade then back to Tony. “Not really, but at least he’s a little more willing to listen to Peter.”

“Hey, Wade.” Bucky waved Wade over to him. “I got a deal for you.”

“Oh? What kind of a deal?” Wade grinned from ear to ear. He swam right up to Bucky’s face.

Bucky looked slightly annoyed for a moment by Wade’s proximity, but the emotion soon slipped away. Bucky leaned down and whispered in Wade’s ear.

“Oh! Okay, yeah, I can do that.” Wade back flipped away from Bucky then twisted around so he was facing Tony. “I’ll be back, Tony.” Wade kissed Tony on the cheek.

Tony jerked back in surprise. “What the-”

“Wade!” Bucky swatted Wade’s hip. “Stop harassing my mate!”

Wade stuck his tongue out at Bucky. “He’s not yours yet.” Wade snickered and zipped off before Bucky could take another swat at him.

“Brat,” Bucky grumbled.

Tony touched his cheek. “Are all of you that affectionate?”

Bucky blew bubbles out of his mouth. He swam closer to Tony to close the distance between them. He took both of Tony’s hands in his. “No. Wade just likes to stir up trouble. …and I guess he is that affectionate with people he likes. He practically mauls Peter with affection whenever gets the chance.”

Tony stared up at Bucky in disbelief. “He likes me?”

“So far all of the kids do.”

Tony shook his head. “But I haven’t done anything but ask them questions about Loki and Thor. Why would they like me?”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

Tony huffed. His chest constricted at the memory of when Bucky and him had met after Tony had been transformed into a merman. “You didn’t like me.”

“Yeah, well, I was confused and hurting, so I acted like a jerk. I like you now.”

“Are you sure it’s not because you think you’re supposed to like me?” Tony mumbled. He hugged himself as self-loathing washed over him. He was being so pathetic—so weak. What was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he just do what Howard told him to do and be strong? Feeling depressed and pitying himself would just give others the opportunity to trample all over him. He had to shove down those feelings and show everyone that he was strong.

Tony startled when a pair of lips brushed against his own.

Tony blinked as Bucky pulled back.

“What was that?” Tony asked.

Bucky squeezed his hands. “That was me trying to convince you that I like you, because I don’t think saying it will be enough for you. At least not right now.” Bucky tugged Tony toward him, and he began swimming backwards through the water, guiding Tony to an unknown destination. “I do like you though.”

Bucky winked and picked up their swimming pace. “Now, come on. I want to get things started before Wade comes back.”

“Wade’s coming back?” Tony asked.

Bucky chuckled. “You’ll see.”

Bucky took Tony to an area thick with colorful coral and rocks. He had Tony sit down on a rock and swam off for a minute to return with an armful of seaweed. He dropped the seaweed at Tony’s fin and “kneeled” in front of Tony. He beamed. “I don’t know what a robot is, but I know how to make things.” Bucky batted away a small school of fish swimming around a patch of coral and snapped off a chunk of the coral. “We can make rock mermaids or Steve and I even once tried to repair a boat we once found; we can try to do something like that. Or you could teach me how to build a robot.”

Tony blinked down at Bucky, his heart giving a big thump. “You want to build things with me?”

Bucky smiled. “Yeah. Whatever you want. It might turn out like crap, but let’s give it a shot.”

Tony’s heartbeat accelerated. He felt his face flushing and was half tempted to cover his cheeks. He only stopped himself because the action would end up drawing more attention to his blush.

“You okay?” Bucky touched Tony’s hand. “You’re being extra quiet.”

“Making a boat out of rocks seems like the worst idea ever. It’s like you _want_ the boat to sink.”

Bucky looked surprised then chuckled. “I guess that’s why Steve and I have never come across any boats made from rocks.”

“Also, how do you even manage to make rocks and coral look anything like a mermaid?”

Bucky picked up one of the rocks. “I’ll show you.”

“Buckyyyyyyy!” Wade shouted.

Tony turned around and froze.

Wade was swimming right toward him and Bucky, and right behind the little lightning bolt of a merkid was Steve, Sam, Natasha, Gwen, Peter, and Mary Jane. All of whom had a collection of shells, pebbles, seaweed, and driftwood in their arms.

“So what are we building?” Wade asked, stopping between Bucky and Tony. His head swiveled excitedly between the two.

Bucky smiled at the shocked expression on Tony’s face. “First, we’re going to build mermaid statues.”

Wade scoffed. “I’m making a merman.”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

Steve plopped his items down next to Bucky’s pile of seaweed. “Then what?” Steve settled himself next to Tony on the rock.

“Let’s make a launcher,” Sam said. “We can then hurl things at Fury.”

“I still want make something that can hold an octopus,” Natasha said.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Sam said to Natasha.

“I want to make an octopus catcher!” Gwen shouted.

“I want make a lander house,” Peter whispered.

“Octopus catcher!” Mary Jane joined Gwen.

“Well, Tony?” Bucky asked.

Tony looked around, unable to believe what he was seeing.

All of them wanted to hang out with him?

No one ever wanted to hang out with Tony. He was an outsider and a weirdo.

Tony couldn’t believe it.

Bucky squeezed Tony’s hand. “Tony?”

Tony snapped out of his reverie. “All of it. Let’s do all of it.”

The kids cheered and swam around like a bunch of lunatics while the teenagers of the group wrangled them in.

While everyone was distracted, Tony squeezed Bucky’s hand. He leaned in to Bucky, and Bucky lifted his head so Tony could whisper in his ear.

“Thanks.” The word felt inadequate to Tony, but he was too flummoxed to come up with anything grandiose.

Tony felt Bucky’s mouth curl into a smile against his cheek. “Any time.”


	23. Chapter 23

“Don’t put that there, Wade.” Tony snatched a smooth stone out from Wade’s hands and set it on one of the smaller walls of the fort they were building. “These kind of rocks are perfect for the foundation, and foundation is everything.”

Wade sneered, hands going to his hips. “No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is,” Peter countered as he set a rock of his own next to Tony’s.

Tony examined the rock briefly. He smiled and ruffled Peter’s hair. “Perfect, Peter.”

Peter beamed. “How much longer until our fort is finished?”

“Depends on how many times I have to correct Wade.”

Wade huffed and crossed his arms. He turned to Bucky. “I was wrong about him being too good for you. He’s just as much of a jerk as you are.”

“At least he’s not a brat who goes around stirring up trouble all the time.”

“Don’t call Peter a brat,” Wade’s face flushed red with anger.

Peter rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath.

Tony stifled a chuckle.

The corner of Bucky’s mouth twitched at the happy sound.

Bucky was surprised just how much joy he got out of seeing Tony happy. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t confuse him a little. Honestly, a lot of things about Tony and their situation confused him. He still wasn’t sure how he had fallen for Tony when he was a lander; although, now at least he felt like he had some understanding of how it had happened.

Tony was nice with just the right amount of sass to keep Bucky entertained. He tended to keep to himself, but Bucky suspected that may have had more to do with the situation they were in and less of Tony’s normal state. Whenever Tony was relaxed and happy he talked more. He could keep pace with Wade, which was an amazing feat on its own.

The way Tony talked about lander things was enrapturing—when the thought of his former life didn’t send him into a somber mood, that was. When Tony was excited and talking about lander things, such as cheese burgers, cars, and robots (Bucky still wasn’t sure he understood what a robot was, but it sounded awesome), his eyes sparkled and the smile never left his face. His voice was an orchestra of delight, and he always waved his hands to emphasis his favorite parts.

It was in the moments that Bucky found himself leaning in more—touching Tony more. So many times he’d been tempted to interrupt Tony just so he could kiss him. In his mind right then Tony and him were mates—not potential ones, but mates who loved and took care of each other.

Then, like always, something would pull Bucky out of his reverie, and he’d remember the truth: that Tony and  him weren’t mates. They may not ever become mates after everything that had happened to them.

The thought made his heart weep, and, as always, the strong emotion brought with it confusion.

Perhaps for Tony their relationship was months old, but everything was still new to Bucky, yet he already felt so strongly for Tony.

He didn’t know if his feelings were residual—something the spell had been unable to take away from him, or if he really was falling for Tony as fast and hard as he seemed to be.

It was terrifying yet thrilling.

A small seashell bopped Bucky on the forehead.

Bucky blinked.

Tony grinned wickedly at Bucky. He picked up another small seashell off the ground and threw it at Bucky. “Are you going to keep staring at me or are you going to help with the fort?”

Bucky exaggeratedly hummed in thought. “Maybe I’ll build my own fort and lock you away inside of it. Then I get to keep you all to myself.”

“Nu-huh!” Peter and Wade latched onto Tony’s arms and glared at Bucky. “He’s ours.”

Tony chortled. “Sorry, Bucky, the kids have spoken.”

Bucky huffed in feigned annoyance, but his act was marred by the huge smile on his face. “Fine, but only because I don’t want to have to deal with their crying.”

“We don’t cry!” Wade protested.

“Wade, I’ve carried you back to the pod while you were sobbing and getting snot all over my shoulder.”

“Liar!”

Wade swam up to Bucky and began punching him in the shoulder.

Bucky sighed and held up his hand so Wade could punch his palm instead.

“Can I just say you two make the best comedy duo ever?” Tony asked.

Bucky and Wade feigned disgust with each other.


	24. Chapter 24

“I know you and Steve are more partial to your shipwreck, but I have to say, I’m going miss sleeping in the cavern.” Tony plopped himself down on the eroded captain’s desk. Something poked Tony in the butt. Without even looking at it, Tony picked up the object and flung it across the cabin—not like tidiness mattered when your home was a sunken ship.

“I’m just happy not to have the kids waking us up every morning.” Bucky sighed and joined Tony on the desk. He placed his hands on Tony’s shoulder then rested his chin on top of them. “I miss sleep.”

“It is going to be odd not sleeping together,” Steve said as he glided through the water on his back, taking in the room. Steve and Bucky had both said something about the ship seeming a little different, but Tony suspected that feeling was caused more from time away from their home than any real changes.

Sam, who had tagged along for what Tony dubbed “the ship warming party,” made a face at Steve. Whatever he was thinking though, Sam quickly dismissed with a head shake.

“You three could always cuddle up close together.” Natasha tugged at one of the loose floorboards. “You don’t _need_ to be in a confined space to cuddle.”

“You mind not tearing up our home?” Bucky asked.

Natasha’s brow furrowed. “Something’s caught down there though. It’s shiny too.”

Tony snorted in amusement. He barely knew Natasha but she didn’t seem like the type to be mesmerized by shiny things. “That’s why you’re ripping the floorboards out?”

“Unless you have another plan,” Natasha stated.

Tony frowned in contemplation.

Bucky lightly head butted Tony’s cheek.

“I might have an idea,” Tony said. Tony cocked his head to the side so it rested on top of Bucky’s. “Actually two. One that isn’t destructive and one that is. Let’s try the one that doesn’t involve me building a lever or finding a crowbar to crack open the floor.”

“A crowbar?” Sam asked, befuddlement in his tone.

“It’s a lander tool,” Tony explained. “I know a lot about their tools, if you’re ever interested in learning.”

“You’d probably get along with Jane,” Sam commented.

Tony shrugged and pushed himself off the desk. He swam to the small crack and peered through it. Something glinted not far below. It looked like the item could be a pocket-watch.

“I need a hook and some string or a thin chain.” Tony fingered the necklace around his neck for an example.

“I think I saw a hook around here somewhere,” Steve muttered and swam out of the room.

“I got a chest full of necklaces and rings lying around here,” Bucky said. “I can probably find something for you to use.” Bucky followed Steve’s example and took off.

It wasn’t long before the two returned with the items they had promised as well as a few extra ones that they thought might help Tony get the glinting object out from under the floorboards.

Tony lay across the floorboards and pushed the hook in a larger crack. He stuck out his tongue and bit it as he finagled the hook around until he felt it latch onto the object below. Tony held his breath as he slowly lifted the object out from between the floorboards.

The others let out a round of victorious cheers when a thin compass popped out from between the floor.

Tony freed the compass from the hook and turned it over in his hands. It was covered in rust and algae. Tony brushed his thumb across the face of the compass, uncovering more of it. He flipped the compass over and cleaned off the back.

The compass was old and made of metal. Faded engravings of swirls and a heart decorated the compass. In the center of the heart were signs of writing having been there, but the word or message had been eroded away.

Natasha leaned in and studied the compass. “So it’s a necklace.”

The statement surprised Tony.

“It’s not as shiny as the ones Bucky and I have around here.” Steve had swam closer and was floating above Tony. He held out his hand. “Can I see it?”

“It’s not a necklace.” Tony handed the compass to Steve. “Or really, that’s not its main function. It’s a compass.”

“What’s that?” Sam asked.

Tony opened his mouth to answer right as he noticed that the compass was pointing to Sam. At that same moment a wonderful and terrible idea came to mind. He had to force himself to keep a straight face when all he wanted to do was snicker.

“I think I know.” Bucky crossed his arms over his chest. He scrunched his face as he tried to recall the information. “Compasses lead you somewhere, right?”

Tony nodded. “They’re for navigation, but this one is special.” Tony smiled. “It’s the Agape Compass. It points you to your true love.”

“What!” Steve looked down at the compass in his hands. His gaze snapped to where the compass was pointing at Sam.

Steve dropped the compass.

Sam was wide-eyed and speechless.

Natasha frowned and picked up the compass. The arrow pointed at Sam. “It pointed to Sam for me too.”

Tony gasped and covered his mouth. “A poly true love! I’ve heard the legends, but I never thought I’d get to see something so rare and beautiful.”

“You’re making this up,” Sam said.

Steve frowned, looking very perturbed despite his pink cheeks. “I think Sam is right.”

Tony shook his head. “I swear.”

Natasha held out the compass to Tony. “Then you hold it.”

Tony inwardly smirked. The compass was broken, so all he had to do was subtly angle the arrow at anywhere other than Sam and his prank would continue.

Tony plucked the compass out of Natasha’s hand then plopped it into his palm, purposefully making sure there was no way the arrow would point at Sam.

He hadn’t actually planned on having the arrow point at Bucky.

Bucky mirrored Sam’s expression from seconds ago—mouth slightly ajar and eyes comically wide.

Tony flushed. “Um…”

Steve snickered. “Okay, now I’m a little more willing to believe you.”

Natasha grinned mischievously. “Or perhaps it was all a ploy to flirt with Bucky?”

“If you wanted to tell Bucky you love him, you should have just said so,” Sam teased.

“I-I didn’t,” Tony stuttered. He mentally chastised himself for his vocal trembling. He cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders back. “Just because Bucky and I knew right away that we were meant to be doesn’t mean the relationship between you three is any less epic.” Tony smirked. “Although you have to admit, Bucky and I have the far better love story. Born so far apart, yet somehow we managed to find each other. Doesn’t it make you want to swoon a little?”

“‘Swoon’ isn’t the word I would use,” Sam said dryly.

Natasha gave a subtle nod in agreement.

Steve was staring at Tony and Bucky in consideration.

As for Bucky, he was still gawking like he was trying to catch anchovies in his mouth.

Tony swam over to Bucky and lightly pushed Bucky’s chin up so he was no longer gaping at Tony.

Suddenly Bucky’s hand was clasped around Tony’s and the compass. Bucky hit Tony with a piercing and demanding look. “Be honest with me, if I were to take this compass from you right now, would it point to you or not?”

Guilt slammed into Tony. Loki had originally given Bucky the enchanted necklace that had turned Tony into mermaid as a means to prove that their love was true and not just some flight of fancy. Making a joke about Bucky and himself being destined true loves to each others was in bad taste.

“Probably not,” Tony said, letting his guilt enter his voice.

Tony thought that would be that; Bucky would let go of his hand and tell Tony never to make a joke like that again.

A yelp of surprise leaped out of Tony when Bucky snatched the compass out of Tony’s hand and held it up to his face. Bucky studied the face of the compass for a moment, his eyes flicking to Tony then back to the compass. Bucky nodded and made a satisfied sound. He lowered the compass, purposefully covering the the device’s face so no one could see where the arrow pointed.   

“Interesting,” Bucky said.

“What is?” Steve asked.

“Tony already confirmed that the compass doesn’t work like he said it did. I don’t see how you could find anything interesting about it.” Natasha spoke flippantly, but she eyed Bucky with suspicion.

“Did Tony say that?” Bucky quirked an inquisitive eyebrow. “He said that he didn’t think the arrow would point at him. Sounds to me like Tony’s just insecure.” Bucky smiled beautifully at Tony then leaned in and kissed Tony on the cheek. “Don’t worry, Tony. Our love is mutual.”

“But, Bucky-” Tony started to correct Bucky about the compass—he didn’t want Bucky to misunderstand.

Bucky placed a finger on Tony’s lips and winked.

That wink was all Tony needed to know that Bucky knew the truth about the compass and was just teasing Tony and the others.

A smile spread widely across Tony’s face. He felt like he was glowing with happiness.

Tony threw his arms around Bucky’s neck and kissed him hard on the mouth. “You’re the best.”

Bucky chuckled and rested his hands on Tony’s hips. “I’m not so sure. You’re pretty fantastic. I don’t think I can compete.”

“Does anyone else feel like puking?” Sam asked.

“Jealous,” Bucky and Tony chimed together.

Sam huffed and shook his head. “I’m getting out of here before they start making out. Who’s with me?”

Steve and Natasha nodded in agreement and followed Sam outside.

When the three were out of hearing range, Tony said, “Just so you know, I wasn’t lying. You really are my favorite.”

Bucky smiled at Tony and wrapped his tail around Tony’s. The hands he had on Tony’s hips softly stroked Tony’s sides before encasing Tony in an embrace. “Just so you know, I wasn’t lying either.”

Bucky held up the compass. The arrow pointed at Tony. “It was probably just a little luck that the arrow happened to be facing you, but it was a nice coincidence anyway.” Bucky kissed Tony on the forehead. “Gotta say, I was pretty happy when it pointed at you, even if your story was crap.”

Bucky’s confession did something to Tony. He couldn’t quite explain the sensation, but it felt like something was bubbling inside him and just waiting to spill. A good thing. Something light and warm—something that made him happy.

Toy ignored the feeling for now and kissed Bucky on the cheek. “I thought it was a good story.”

“Not as epic as our love though, right?” Bucky spoke sarcastically.

Tony chuckled. He rested his chin on Bucky’s shoulder. “Yeah, not as epic. Still pretty good though, right?”

Bucky hummed in thought and ran his fingers through Tony’s hair. “I guess.”


	25. Chapter 25

“Have you seen Tony?” Bucky asked Natasha, slightly out of breath from racing Steve back to the pod (if one could call leaving Steve so far behind that Bucky was still waiting for his best friend to catch up a race).

Tony had told Bucky that he had something he needed to do with Peter, so Steve and Bucky had gone off on an adventure by themselves. Bucky had been disappointed that Tony hadn’t come along. Steve and him had come across a mantis shrimp, which he knew Tony would have loved. The mantis shrimp could punch a crab to death with one hit; how could Tony not find that amazing?

Then again maybe it was for the best that Tony hadn’t seen the mantis shrimp. Bucky would have had a heart attack if Tony had tried to go near that monster of a sea creature. Mantis shrimp were nice to look at, but only an idiot (or a very curious lander with little knowledge of the shrimp’s prowess) would go near it.

Natasha cracked open an eye. She had sprawled herself across a rock and was enjoying her moment of peace and solitude.

Steve came gasping up to Bucky.

Steve swatted Bucky on the back. “You ass! You didn’t hold back at all! I completely lost sight of you!”

Bucky rolled his eyes and swatted Steve back in retaliation. “And if I had–even a little–what would you be saying then?” Bucky whapped Steve on the head with his fin.  “I can’t win with you.”

“But you were so fast!” Steve sucked in some more water then released it as bubbles. “Twice as fast as normal. Have you been holding back this whole time?”

“He was excited to get back to Tony.” Natasha sat up and waved Steve over. “Sit down. You have something in your hair.”

“I do?” Steve plopped himself on the rock next to Natasha and ran his fingers through his hair. He grimaced. “It’s slimy”

Natasha plucked something round from Steve’s hair. She examined the slimy and squishy-looking object then set it aside. “You must have brushed against an octopus egg sac.”

“Aw, Stevie,” Bucky cooed. “You might have octopus babies sprouting from your hair. You’ll make a fantastic mother.”

Natasha sent Bucky a scathing look as she groomed Steve. “Your mate should be that way.” She pointed to where the seaweed grew tall and thick. She ran her fingers through Steve’s hair, gripping it tight and directing him to tilt his head forward so she had better access to the hair at the base of his skull.

“Thanks, Nat.” Bucky blew her a kiss and winked playfully. “Make sure Steve doesn’t become a parent too soon.”

“Advice you should apply to yourself and Tony,” Natasha said.

Bucky flushed, but didn’t comment back. He twisted in the water and took off in the direction Tony was supposed to be in.

Bucky swam over the seaweed. Tony’s bright red tail would stand out among the plants, so Bucky just needed to look for red and then-

 _There!_ Just a bit of a ways away was a splotch of brilliant red.

Bucky headed toward Tony, diving into the seaweed as he got closer so he could pop out and startle Tony with a tackle-hug once Tony was in arm’s reach.

“This looks like shit!” Tony exclaimed.

“I think it looks nice,” Peter said. “It’s not easy making holes in the shells. You’re doing a good job. Also, I really like what you did with the pearl.”

“The pearl is the only good thing about this.” Tony sighed in defeat.

From Bucky’s hiding spot in the seaweed he could see Tony hanging his head in defeat.

“But I really like it,” Peter protested. “Bucky should too.”

“You didn’t see the one Bucky made me,” Tony grumbled.

“Bucky made you one?” Peter gasped. “Where is it? Why aren’t you wearing it? You should-”

“My dad broke it,” Tony cut Peter off.

“How…how could he?” Peter’s voice wavered. It was soft and full of hurt. “That’s… that’s despicable! Mating necklaces are precious. You never break one! Not intentionally.”

Tony didn’t say anything.

Bucky was paralyzed in shock. He had two thoughts running through his head, and both had him floored. The first thought followed the lines of: _I gave Tony a mating necklace? Holy shit! I gave him_ the _necklace. Crap! Fuck. I…I fucking loved him so much_.

The second thought was: _Tony’s making me a necklace? Shit! Does he realize what a big deal that is? Does he know? Fuck. What if he does. Shit. He…he really loves me._

His heart ached with a mixture of emotions that he didn’t know whether to describe as happiness or sorrow.

“Tony,” Peter said, his voice a concerned whine. “Are you okay?”

Bucky shook himself out of his thoughts. Now wasn’t the time for floating around like a sun fish.

Bucky pushed through the seaweed and emerged behind Tony, who was seated on the ocean floor with a pile of seashells and kelp in his lap. Bucky wrapped his arms around Tony’s shoulders and hugged him. “Hey, you two. Sorry for interrupting.”

“Bucky!” Tony and Peter both shouted in surprise.

Bucky grinned at them and kissed Tony on the temple. “It’s me! Hey, Peter, can I have a moment alone with my mate?”

Bucky nuzzled his cheek against Tony’s for show. “We need adult time.”

Peter turned as red as a lobster.

“‘Adult time?’” Tony repeated, sounding just as confused and flustered as Peter looked.

Peter flailed his arms and inched upward. “Uh. Yeah. Uh, if you need more help, Tony, just let me know. I’ll be happy to show you how to…” Peter’s eyes fell to Tony’s lap where a necklace made of kelp and seashells sat. “…uh… you know what I was going to say. Anyway, bye!” Peter shot out of the seaweed and took off toward the pod like a shark was chasing him.

“Traitor,” Tony grumbled. Tony grabbed the arms around his shoulders and neck and squeezed them. He leaned back into Bucky. “So… adult time?”

Bucky snickered. “Kind of. Mostly I just wanted to talk to you alone.” Bucky unwrapped his arms from Tony and drifted around Tony so he floated in front of his potential mate. His eyes fell to the half-made necklace in Tony’s lap and his heart skipped a beat. “You really were making me a necklace.”

Tony covered the necklace with his hands and hunched over. “Yeah, I was. It sucks though, so don’t look at it.”

“Do you know what a big deal that is?” Bucky asked.

Tony frowned. “You said it wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“What? When did I-?” Bucky stopped himself as the answer became clear. “Fuck.” His past self had probably not wanted to freak Tony out, so he’d downplayed the importance of the necklace. “Okay, I think I may have misled you before.”

“You did?” Tony spoke flatly.

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck. His fin twitched with nerves. “It’s a pretty big deal. Giving you the necklace doesn’t make us mates or anything, but it’s a huge sign of intention. Also, it indicates that you’re interested if you wear the necklace. So you know, if you wear the necklace it’s kind of the go-ahead for me to court you.”

“But everyone already thinks we’re mates or at least want to be, so why does the necklace make a difference?” Tony’s brows pinched together in thought. “Oh!” His eyes widened. “Oh! It’s probably the difference between saying you want to marry someone and actually being engaged with the ring and everything.”

Bucky flushed. “Yeah…”

“You sound hesitant,” Tony pointed out.

“…how much do you know about mating dances?”

“I think you did a few for me?”

“What!” Bucky reeled. He back-flipped through the water as he tried to wrap his head around this new information. “I-shit.” Bucky covered his mouth as he tried to come up with a strategy to explain just how gaga over Tony he must have been.

That or Bucky had really wanted to mate with Tony in the literal sense.

“Are the mating dances that important?” Tony asked. “I mean, I know they are to an extent, but you’re acting like we ran off to Vegas, got married, and signed a lease for an apartment together.”

Bucky had no idea what Tony was talking about, but based on what little he knew about the lander world, he wasn’t so sure Tony understood what he was having trouble expressing.

“Mating dances…” Bucky began but had to clear his throat. “There are a few that are done before giving your intended a necklace. Dances that are designed to show off your physique when you dance them, but uh…” Bucky’s eyes drifted down to Tony’s lap again. “There are other more erotic ones. You only dance them after giving a necklace. Did I dance one of those for you?”

“I wouldn’t really know.” Tony shrugged. “To me they were just nice dances. I also wouldn’t know what you consider erotic. We never sat down and had the sex talk after you offered. I can guess a few things now though.” Tony followed Bucky’s eyes to his lap.

By now Tony knew that his dick was hidden under a patch of scales, and would come out from underneath when he needed to pee or was aroused.

“Right.” Bucky bit his bottom lip and forced himself to look away from Tony’s lap. “So a big difference between dances is how much touching is involved and where touching occurs. So for example if I touched you around here,” Bucky rested his hand just above where his sheathed shaft lay hidden. “That would be for something after I’ve given you the necklace. Also the chest.” Bucky covered his nipples. “Anything where I put my mouth on you or hint at it for example.”

Tony snorted in amusement. “Really? You’d put your mouth on me while dancing? What would you do? Just grab onto me and suck a bruise onto my neck while wiggling your hips?”

Bucky felt hot and awkward. “I could give you a demonstration. A quick one.”

Tony chuckled. “Go for it. This is something I gotta see.”

Bucky gave a slow, small dive toward Tony, then then just as slowly rose up, his hands gliding along the sides of Tony’s tail as his nose and lips skimmed up from Tony’s navel to his breast. Bucky brushed a kiss to the pectoral, teasing the nub of flesh. Bucky lifted his head and lightly kissed Tony under the chin as his hands glided together to press just below where Tony’s cock lay.

Tony’s breath hitched.

Bucky gently pushed himself off Tony and to the side so he could wrap around Tony. His fin came up up to brush Tony’s cheek before lowering and hooking around Tony’s. His chest brushed along Tony’s back as he took hold of Tony’s arm and stretched it out so he could trail his lips from Tony’s shoulder to his elbow, his body following along the path of Tony’s arm until his tail unwrapped from  Tony’s in a sensuous slide.

With kiss to Tony’s fingertips, Bucky closed his hand around Tony’s and guided Tony to him until their chests pressed together.

Wide, brown eyes stared at Bucky in awe and a bit of fright.

Bucky disentangled himself from Tony and sheepishly backed away. “Sorry. Too much.”

Tony opened his mouth then shut it. He tried to speak again after a few seconds of staring. “You never did that before. You would kiss me, but it was a lot more playful. Not nearly as…” Tony cleared his throat and covered himself. “…sensual.”

Bucky forced himself not to look where the tip of Tony’s dick might be peeking out under Tony’s hand.

“Okay.” It was the only thing Bucky could think to say.

“I kind of liked it.”

“‘Kind of?’”

“Okay, I really like it,” Tony confessed. His shoulders rose to his ears. “I was just surprised how good it felt. It was just a bunch of teasing, but it… can we just make out already?”

Laughter burst from Bucky as relief slammed into him. Thank goodness he hadn’t scared Tony off with that dance. He closed the distance between him and Tony and hugged him tight. “Jeez, no wonder I was so crazy about you. You’re adorable and gorgeous. Not mention smart.”

“You don’t have to compliment me if you want to make out, you know.” Tony huffed in irritation.

Bucky chuckled and nuzzled Tony. “I know, and I promise I will in a sec. I’m just soaking up the moment.”

Tony made a satisfied humming sound and hugged Bucky back. “Good.” He kissed Bucky’s neck. “Hey, Bucky.”

“Yeah?”

“Just so you know, I wasn’t making the necklace because I wanted to make out with you or anything. I just…” The arms around Bucky tightened, and Tony lowered his forehead onto Bucky’s shoulder. “I really like you, Bucky. And it feels like love, but I’m just not sure because of all the crazy stuff that’s happened. I just wanted you to know that, and the necklace seemed like a good idea.”

Bucky heart swelled.

Maybe Tony wasn’t sure what he was feeling, but the way Tony so easily made it feel like Bucky’s heart would grow right out of his chest told Bucky all he needed to know:

He loved Tony.

“Thanks, Tony. You have no idea how much that means to me.”


	26. Chapter 26

Tony gasped and flung his hands over his mouth to keep the anchovy he’d caught from fleeing to safety. He’d finally caught an anchovy! Weeks of failure and he’d finally caught one.

Tony slammed his mouth shut and screwed his eyes tight against the sensation of the anchovy swimming inside his mouth. His second row of teeth descended and Tony chewed the tiny fish to pieces and swallowed.

“I finally caught one!” Tony cheered. Tony threw his arms up and did a back-flip.

“Finally,” Sam shouted, relief and happiness in his voice. “I was worried about you.”

“I thought he was faking his inability to catch anchovies.” Natasha swam past Tony. With little effort she snapped her jaws shut on three anchovies and devoured them.

“Congrats, Tony,” Steve said.

Tony crossed his arms over his chest. “Thank you, Steve. At least someone around here knows how to respond when your friend achieves something.”

A hand glided across the cradle of Tony’s back. Tony turned his head and was nose to nose with Bucky.

Bucky’s cheeks were puffed up like a chipmunk’s. He cupped Tony’s face and brought their lips together.

Tony’s stomach flipped like an acrobat.

He grabbed hold of Bucky’s arms for purchase and used his fingertips to caress Bucky’s forearms. He opened his mouth and accepted the anchovies Bucky fed him.

Bucky withdrew his mouth from Tony’s, giving Tony space as he happily ate his food.

“Congrats.” Bucky kissed Tony’s cheek. “So I can go back to catching anchovies for just myself now.”

“I didn’t say that.” Tony slid his hands up Bucky’s arms and around his shoulders.

“You just want an excuse for Bucky to kiss you,” Sam said.

Tony pressed a finger to his lips and shushed Sam. “Stop telling everyone my secrets.”

Natasha rolled her eyes as she lazily swam through the water on her back. “‘Secrets,’ he says. Secrets.” She snorted in disbelief.

“You’re making me miss the kids. They are the essence of love and joy. all of you are bitter and sarcastic.”

“Hey, don’t lump me in with them,” Steve said.

“Or me.” Bucky pecked Tony on the cheek.

Tony blew a stream of bubbles in Bucky’s face. “All four of you are sarcastic, and it hurts me.”

Bucky hugged Tony around the waist. “Aw, don’t be like that.” He nuzzled Tony’s cheek. “You love us, and you know it.”

“Maybe,” Tony drew out his vowels.

Bucky huffed and tickled Tony’s sides.

Tony curled up and laughed. He clung to Bucky as his laughter shook him. “Mercy! Mercy! I can’t take it.”

“Yes!” Bucky cheered and stopped tickling Tony, but kept Tony in his embrace.

Natasha whistled to get their attention.

Tony and Bucky broke out of their love haze.

Natasha pointed downward.

Tony and Bucky’s gazes followed her finger.

Dozens of mermaids and merman were headed toward where Bucky’s pod made their home.

Tony squinted and tried to get a better look at the merfolk below. “I don’t think I recognize anyone down there.”

“You wouldn’t,” Sam said. “That’s Jane’s pod.”

Tony tensed in Bucky’s arms. Jane’s pod? That meant Thor and Loki were due back any day now.

Once Loki returned, Tony and Bucky would have to visit him to undo the spell on them.

Bucky would soon have his memories back, and Tony would be human again.

It also meant that Tony and Bucky’s time together was drawing to an end.


	27. Chapter 27

Tony and Bucky stuck close together over the course of the next three days.

Ridiculously close.

“Okay, what is up with you two?” Sam demanded to know as the group of teens lounged around and kept an eye on the kids while the older members of the pod went out to get food for their children, gather supplies for their homes, and/or enjoy each other’s company. “You two are even more clingy than usual.”

Tony cracked open his eye and glared at Sam. Bucky had propped himself against a boulder and Tony had sprawled himself on top of Bucky. His head rested on Bucky’s shoulder while one of his arms hugged Bucky’s ribcage.

Bucky’s arms were looped loosely around Tony’s waist and their tails were wound together in the most intimate way without being considered lewd by other merfolk. Bucky rested his chin on top of Tony’s head and was dozing–or had been. At Sam’s word, Bucky had mirrored Tony’s reaction and pried open an eye to send Sam a dirty look.

“Jeez!” Sam huffed. “What ticked you two off?”

“Just leave them alone.” Steve flicked a pebble through the water. “Tony’s not used to this many merfolk around, and Bucky’s protective.”

It was not the best excuse for Tony and Bucky’s negative responses to Sam, but wasn’t as if Steve could say, “Loki and Thor are going to return any day now, and when they do Tony’s going to transform back into a lander” without causing Sam to freak out and ask a thousand questions.

Tony briefly wondered how Bucky would explain his absence to his friends once he was gone?

Tony’s heart ached. He didn’t want Bucky to have to go through that or make up some lie about how Tony no longer liked him so he’d left. It wasn’t true. Tony adored Bucky like no one else, and a part of him wanted to stay with Bucky and the pod.

The pod felt like a home now–like a family.

Back on land Tony had his mom and his dreams for building a better future.

But he also wanted a future with Bucky.

Tony didn’t know what to do. Tony fiddled with the necklace around his neck.

“Jane!” A voice bellowed from afar. “Lady Jane! I have returned!”

Tony felt Bucky tense beneath him, and Steve looked over his shoulder at them.

Tony hugged Bucky tighter, already knowing without anyone saying who the owner of the new voice was.

Heading toward the pod like a torpedo was a blond merman who looked like he had access to a gym and spent all day working out. He was a golden blur as he zoomed toward a brunette mermaid who had been drawing figures in the sand and gesticulating toward another mermaid as she explained what she had been drawing.

Tony recognized the enthusiastic woman as Jane.

A weight sank in Tony’s stomach as the golden blur of a merman tackled Jane through the water and declared his undying love for her.

Trailing behind the energetic man at a more subdued pace was a man with inky black hair and pale skin. He made an annoyed face at the display of affection and moved as if to leave.

“Loki,” Odin shouted. “Don’t you think about hiding in that cave of yours without reacquainting yourself with the pod first. There have been quite a few changes in yours and your brother’s absence.”

The dark-haired merman was not pleased, but he begrudgingly swam to Odin and embraced the older man.

“Well, there goes the peace,” Sam said. “Not gonna be long before Loki pulls some kind of prank.”

“Tony?” Bucky whispered in his ear.

Tony maneuvered himself so his back was to Sam and Steve. “Yeah?” Tony whispered.

“Do you want…” Bucky trailed off. He glanced up at Loki.

Tony shook his head. “He’s busy, or will be if he listens to Odin. Let’s wait. Just a few more hours, please?”

Bucky nodded. “You want to stay here or-”

“Can we be alone?”

Bucky sighed in relief. He gently guided Tony off of him. He took Tony’s hand in his. “Tony and I are going to wander off for a while,” Bucky announced to their friends. “You guys going to be okay looking after the kids?”

“Not exactly difficult.” Sam pointed his thumb at the golden merman–Thor–who was covered in clinging children. “They’re going to be like barnacles for days.”

“Take all the time you need,” Steve said, a forced smile on his face.

Bucky and Tony mumbled their thanks and took off in the direction of the shipwreck Steve and Bucky had made their home.

Bucky and Tony had barely entered the ship before Tony stopped moving and just held Bucky’s hand.

Bucky gave a small tug, encouraging Tony to go farther into the ship, but when Tony didn’t budge, Bucky swam a little closer to Tony.

“You okay, Tony?”

“I don’t know if I want to go back,” Tony admitted.

Bucky didn’t say anything, and that pained Tony a lot more than he had anticipated. He squeezed Bucky’s hand. “I told you, Bucky, I really like you, and I really like the pod too. I’ll miss Steve. Heck, I’ll miss Wade. I’ll miss everyone.”

“But you said you have a dream too, Tony,” Bucky spoke softly. “And you can’t fulfill it if you stay here.”

“But don’t you want me to?” Tony asked, his heartbreaking a little at having to ask the question.

“I want…both.” Bucky grimaced. He was unable to meet Tony’s eyes. “I want you to stay with me, Tony. I really do, but…” Bucky took a deep breath and braced himself. “I love you, Tony, and I saw how you reacted when you realized what you had wanted for yourself was taken from you. I can’t be the reason why you give up on all those plans you had.”

“You love me?” Tony repeated in awe.

The surprise and hope in Tony’s voice was so adorable that Bucky couldn’t have stopped the smile that bloomed on his face even if he had wanted to. “You bet.” He let go of Tony’s hand so he could hug him. “You adorable, lovable, and selfless fella.”

“Selfless?” Tony squawked the word. “What are you talking about? I’m not selfless. I’ve been selfish this whole time. I only thought about me and my feelings when I put on this stupid necklace.” Tony held up the enchanted jewelry for show. “I also made you take care of me even when you couldn’t remember me, and-”

“Tony,” Bucky sighed his name and rubbed his back. “You gave up everything for me. Yeah, maybe it was anger or self pity that got you to take that final step, but I have a hard time believing that was the only reason, and even if it was, will you listen to yourself now? You’re actually considering staying with me? Giving up everything?” Bucky pulled back from their embrace to look Tony in the eye. “Don’t be shitting me by saying you’re selfish.”

“But I-”

Bucky pressed a finger to Tony’s lips. “Nope, not hearing it.”

Tony huffed. “Stubborn.”

“I have to be in order to keep up with you.” Bucky grinned cheekily. The expression faded to something softer. “I’m serious, Tony. I love you. I’m not going to make the same mistake I made a month ago when I gave you that necklace and threw a tantrum just because I’m not the be all and end all of your life.”

“I wouldn’t mind if you did. It would make this so much easier.”

“I know.” Bucky kissed Tony on the forehead. “Let’s forget about that now and spend the next few hours like we would if it were any normal day.”

Tony tilted his head up and kissed Bucky.  “Yeah,” he murmured.


	28. Chapter 28

Tony and Bucky hovered outside of Loki’s home. There had been no sudden stop or a moment when one of them turned to the other and requested that they wait. Instead, each of them had gradually slowed down as they neared the sorcerer’s home until they were just a meter or two from it. They held each other’s hand, unwilling to let go of the other until the bitter end.

“I know you’re out there,” a voice came from the cave. “Either come in or I will turn you into plankton.”

Tony and Bucky shared a look.

Worry and sadness rolled off them, but neither spoke  what they were thinking or asked the other to reveal their thoughts.

There was no need to.

They exchanged nods and entered the cave.

Tony had expected empty rock walls with maybe a few trinkets here and there. He was caught off guard by the rows of shelves filled with jars, bottles, shells, coins, and knick-knacks. Even more startlingly was the glowing, green, substance contained in a naturally formed bowl in the center of the cave’s floor.

Loki thumbed through a book (a book! How the heck was there a book underwater? Even if it had _just then_ fallen into the depths of the ocean there should be a lot more damage to the damn thing).

Loki glimpsed up from the pages, his green eyes landing on Bucky then drifting back to the page he’d been reading.

Loki blinked down at the page and lifted his head again, his gaze piercing Tony. “Who are you? You’re not from our pod. You couldn’t be from our fellow pod, could you?”

“This is Tony.” Bucky held up their joined hands. “He’s the one I told you about.”

Loki scoffed. “Now why would I care about your friend?”

Bucky bristled. “Because he’s not just my friend, remember? I told you, I wanted Tony to be my mate.”

“And I would care because…?” Loki’s eyes drifted to the necklace around Tony’s neck. He snapped the book shut and shoved it onto the shelf. “Where did you get that?”

“You gave it to me, remember?” Bucky’s cheeks were red with anger. “Did you really forget?”

“You think I really pay attention to personal matters from the youth of our pod? However…” Loki pursed his lips and studied the necklace. His eyes widened as realization dawned on him. “Now I recall.”

One moment Loki was a good distance away, the next Loki was next to Tony and grabbing Tony’s head.

Tony yelped as Loki cocked his head to the side and examined it.

“Fascinating,” Loki breathed in awe. He released Tony and swam a few paces back.

Bucky leaped in front of Tony. “You can’t just go touching him without his permission!”

Loki’s eyes raked over Tony. “He really is a lander.”

“Was,” Tony corrected.

Loki opened his mouth then shut it. He brought his fist up to his mouth. His expression turned calculating.

“We want you to turn him back,” Bucky explained.

“Turn him back?” Loki seemed genuinely surprised by the request. “Isn’t this what you wanted? To be together forever?”

“So _now_ you remember our deal?” Bucky demanded to know.

Loki brushed away the question. “I forgot it was you who made such a deal with me. I did not forget making a deal with some idiot who had fallen in love with a lander.” Loki put a hand on his hip, once again scrutinizing them. “So sate my curiosity, lander, how long have you been a merman? A few hours? A day? A week?”

“A month?” Tony let his confusion enter his voice. “Why would you think less than that?”

Loki was quiet a moment. “Really?” His tone was careful and considering. “So you became one of us without a second thought?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Tony responded. “I had to think about it for a while, but yeah, I jumped right into this whole merfolk thing.”

“And now you wish to be a lander again.” Loki scoffed. He turned to Bucky. “So now you understand why lander and merfolk relations are-”

“I don’t know,” Tony interrupted.

Bucky squeezed his hand. “Tony. We talked about this.”

“I know,” Tony spoke softly, “but I can’t lie, not about this.” Tony inhaled and gathered his strength. “I want to stay with Bucky. I want to so bad, it hurts.”

“Tony, you can’t.” Bucky’s voice wobbled with emotion. His hold on Tony’s hand became a vice grip as he squared his shoulders back and forced determination into his posture. “I can’t be the reason you give up your dreams.”

“But what about you? What about what you want? You want to be with me. I want to be with you. If we stay together then at least both of us get to have something out of it. If I go now though-”

“Will you two shut up with your melodramatics?” Loki pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “By all the powers of the ocean and cosmos this must be a sick joke.”

Loki growled and swam to his shelves. He barely looked at what he grabbed as he scooped jars and bottles into his hands and poured the contents within the containers into the bowl in the center of the room. Green and gray smoke billowed out from the bowl.

Tony and Bucky backed away from the smoke.

“What are you doing?” Bucky hollered. He threw one arm out protectively in front of Tony.

“Never let it be said that I don’t keep my deals.” Loki opened a small chest on one of his shelves and produced a silver necklace. He tossed the necklace into the bowl.

An explosion erupted in the bowl.

Bucky and Tony yelped at the brilliant light that poured out of the bowl.

Loki hovered over the bowl  and chanted in a language Tony had never heard before.

The silver necklace rose from the bowl, bathed in a green light.

Loki pointed at Bucky then spat out a word.

The necklace zoomed toward Bucky.

Bucky gasped, but before he could spring out of the way, the necklace lassoed around his neck and chained itself to him.

“Buck-” Tony jerked as a green light hurtled toward him and slammed into his own necklace.

He closed his eyes as the light blinded him.

When the light dimmed Tony opened his eyes and all had returned to normal in Loki’s abode. The sorcerer had crossed his arms over his chest. He emanated annoyance and superiority.

Beside Tony, Bucky tugged on the silver necklace.

“I recommend keeping that trinket on, child,” Loki said. “You wouldn’t want to lose it.” Loki smirked, attention turned completely to Tony. “And you especially should keep yours on. Unless you want to drown, that is.”

Bucky tensed next to Tony. He craned his head toward Tony. His jaw dropped and he stared at Tony as if he were seeing Tony for the first time.

Despair constricted in Tony’s chest. “Are you saying-”

Loki scoffed and waved them away. “Test it for yourselves, you lovesick fools. Honestly, you disgust me with your sentimentality, but a deal is a deal, and you have proven your love for each other true.”

“True lo-” Tony didn’t get to finish his sentence.

One moment Bucky was staring at him, then the next Bucky was kissing Tony like he he’d die if he didn’t.

Tony made a perturbed sound at Bucky’s onslaught. He slid his hands up Bucky’s chest and pushed Bucky just enough that Bucky had to stop attacking his mouth. “Bucky,” Tony huffed. “What are you-ack!” Tony closed his eyes as Bucky went from plundering his mouth to smothering Tony’s face with kisses and hugging the life out of him.

“Bucky,” Tony whined.

Bucky kissed his eyelids and cheeks.

“Bucky, why are you-”

“I remember.” Bucky kissed Tony hard on the mouth. “I remember everything. And-” Bucky made a choking sound and stopped kissing Tony. He buried his face in Tony’s shoulder. His body quaked with restrained sobs. “Tony, I’m so sorry.”

Tony’s heart gave a jolt. He weaved his fingers through Bucky’s hair and massaged his scalp. “Hey, hey. It’s okay, Bucky. You were cursed. It’s okay that you didn’t remember. It’s-” Tony felt himself choke on a sob. “God, you remember.” He removed one hand from Bucky’s hair so he could hug him. “You remember.”

“I was so mean to you.”

Tony shook his head. “You weren’t.”

“I was.”

Tony laughed. “Okay. Maybe a little, but you warmed up to me. You loved me. You love me.”

Bucky lifted his head from Tony’s shoulder and smiled. There were no tears in Bucky’s eyes that Tony could see underwater, but there was still a hint of remorse in his gaze even as he looked at Tony like Tony was his world. “Yeah.”

“Will you two leave already?” Loki sneered. “I do have better things to to do than watch the two of you act like idiots.”

Bucky nodded, but still sent Loki a venomous look. “You didn’t give me the details about the spell.”

Loki smirked. “No, I didn’t, because it didn’t matter. If your supposed true love was unwilling to put on the necklace believing he could take it off and return to his own life whenever he desired then there was no possibility of him being your true love to begin with.”

“You’re an asshole,” Bucky stated.

“Careful, child. I could still turn the two of you into plankton. Now, do I have to command you to leave one more time or will you get it through your stubborn skulls already that you are unwelcome here?”

Tony yanked Bucky toward the exit before Bucky could get them turned into plankton.

Tony had only gotten Bucky just outside Loki’s cave when Bucky swooped around Tony, encircling their bodies around each other as he held Tony tight.

Tony returned the embrace, happy just to have Bucky in his arms.

“I missed you,” Bucky whispered.

“I think I should be the one saying that.”

Bucky cupped Tony’s cheeks. He pressed a soft kiss to Tony’s lips and let out a blissful sigh. “You’re right, but… it’s hard to describe. Even though I’ve been with you this whole time it’s like I haven’t been here–like you’ve just been out of reach, and…” Bucky shook his head. “It doesn’t make any sense, but it’s as if I’ve been stuck behind a wall or something–able to see you but never able to talk to you or touch you. Like I’ve been trying to get to you this whole time even though I didn’t know it.”

Bucky kissed Tony again. “Love you so much.”

Tony bit his bottom lip. Doubt plagued him. There was a part of him that still questioned what love was and wondered if he what he thought was love was just deep affection. He knew what he wanted to convey though, and there was just no other word that could get it across.

“I love you too.” Tony grabbed Bucky’s face and kissed him.

The smile that slid across Bucky’s lips as they kissed was contagious, causing Tony’s lips to mirror Bucky’s, and for laughter to spill out of them even as they continued to kiss.

Tony wrapped his arms around Bucky’s neck and slumped against him. “I love you.”

“I know.”

Tony chortled. “Was that Star Wars reference intentional?” God, Bucky remembered Star Wars! Tony had spent a whole night telling Bucky about the movie franchise before Loki’s spell had forced Bucky to forget. He’d even brought a tablet with him one night with a couple of the movies downloaded onto it for Bucky to watch.

Bucky beamed. “You think now that I remember everything I’m not going to use it to seduce you? I’ll use everything I have to keep seducing you.”

Tony melted. “You’re the best.”

“Sorry, but that title is reserved for you.”

Tony smacked Bucky on the chest. “Stop being stubborn and take the compliment.”

“All right, all right.” Bucky rolled his eyes.

A frowned pulled on Bucky’s mouth.

Dread settled in Tony’s stomach. “What?”

Bucky touched the silver necklace around his neck. “We should go to the beach.”

Tony’s insides turned ice cold. He shook his head and clung to Bucky. “No. You just got your memories back. I don’t want to go back to being a Lander.”

“I know, but I’m not sure it will be that bad.”

Tony hit Bucky with a deadpan stare.

“Don’t give me that look.” Bucky whapped Tony on the nose. “I still think you should go back to being a Lander, but I’m not saying we should go to the beach because I want to send you away, Tony. Loki said that he was going to keep his deal. That deal required us to prove our love to Loki and in return we get to be together. Loki just called our love true, so logically we should be able to stay together.”

Tony thumbed his own necklace. “He didn’t say how though.”

“No,” Bucky admitted. “But I got a hunch that I at least want to try. So what do you say? You with me?”

Even with all of his doubts and fears holding him tight, Tony answered: “After everything we’ve been through you really have to ask?”


	29. Chapter 29

Stars sparkled across the black expanse above. The moon hung low in the sky, its light glinting off the darkened waters. The waves crashed against the rocks that loomed like great shadows in the ocean.

To Tony’s eyes the beach sand stood out against the dark waters as something bright. Once he was human again, his eyesight would change and the sand would blend in with the ocean from a distance. The thought caused a pang in Tony’s chest.

“Almost there,” Bucky said and dipped back underwater.

Tony swallowed the lump of worry and fear in his throat. He dove his head underwater and followed Bucky to the shore.

The water grew more shallow and soon he was awkwardly swimming through water that rose above his head when he was upright.

Bucky rose to the surface and Tony mimicked him.

The shore was _right there_. If Tony were still human he could have walked to the shore.

Bucky took a deep breath. “Time for the big test.” Bucky tucked his fingers under his necklace and smiled at Tony. “Hopefully neither one of us will forget the last few months or else things are going to get really awkward.”

Fear seized Tony’s heart. He hadn’t even considered that a possibility. “Bucky, wait-”

Too late. Bucky yanked the necklace over his head.

Bucky gasped.

One moment his head was above water and the next it dropped below.

“Bucky!” Tony dove into the waters and rushed to Bucky.

Tony dodged a foot that kicked at him. For a moment Tony was stunned motionless as realization rammed into him. Where Bucky’s tail had been before were two human legs.

Bucky kicked and floundered as he struggled to stand in the water.

Tony zoomed past Bucky’s flailing limbs and hooked his arms under Bucky’s armpits. He hoisted Bucky’s head above water.

Bucky gasped for air.

“Are you okay?” Tony asked, fretfully checking Bucky over. “Is there anything I can do? Can I-”

Bucky laughed.

Tony was stunned silent. Had Bucky lost his mind. “Bucky?”

Bucky grinned from ear to ear. Without warning, he hooked his fingers around Tony’s necklace and yanked it off Tony.

Tony yelped as a sharp pain lanced through him. He squeezed his eyes shut and hissed. The pain quickly dissipated though and Tony opened his eyes to Bucky’s still grinning face. “You got legs, Tony.” Bucky smacked one of his legs against Tony’s own.

Tony gaped. “Did you just-”

Bucky draped his silver necklace back on himself. He hissed in pain and gritted his teeth, but he was soon smiling again and his tail was wrapped between Tony’s legs.

“One more test.” Bucky held out Tony’s gold necklace. “Just to see if you can switch too.”

Hope fluttered in Tony’s chest.

With fumbling fingers, he took his necklace from Bucky and put it back on his neck. Once again he experienced a shooting pain, but he happily accepted it. It was just a pinch compared to his agonizing first transformation.

Disbelief filled Tony when he felt a tail where his legs had been.

Bucky whooped in joy. “Yes!” He punched the air.

Tony tackled Bucky into the water and kissed him senseless, laughing and hugging Bucky all the while.

There were still so many things that had to be dealt with, such as getting a hold of some clothes and then having to go to the nearest police station to report that he wasn’t missing or dead. There was also still the issue of Tony leaving for school, because no way was Tony going to let Bucky abandon his friends and family just to follow him to school, and Bucky had made it clear that he wasn’t going to let Tony give up his dreams for him. However, whereas before it felt like they’d never be able to overcome the distance, Tony now knew they could.

It would take a lot of hard work and patience, but it would be worth.

Anything would be worth it as long as he got to keep Bucky in his life.

And it was the most beautiful and wonderful thing to know that Bucky felt the same way about him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fabulous latelier drew two beautiful peices of art for the fic, please check them out. [One](http://latelierderiot.tumblr.com/post/147562871482/i-just-read-akira-of-the-twilight-merman-au). [Two](http://latelierderiot.tumblr.com/post/157878186122/i-had-this-in-the-to-do-list-for-a-looong-time).


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